Nick plus Jeff equals Niff (Eventually)
by 739678
Summary: Second part of the Unicorns & Angels series. The background to Nick's statement at the Klaine wedding that he had come to his senses eventually.
1. Engaged

"_Jeff, I know that I only came to my senses in our final week at Dalton, when I suddenly realised that I could not live without you. Since then, I have come to love you more each and every day, I don't want to ever be without you. So I've come to this conclusion. Jeff Sterling, live is too short, so will you marry me now so that we can spend as much of our lives together as possible?" _

He still couldn't believe that he had actually said it. That he was now engaged to Jeff. If someone had told him this time last year that this would happen, he would have laughed in their face. Then again, this time last year things had been so very different and not in a good way. Back then, I thought that I was straight, and just couldn't find the right girl. I thought that Jeff was only my best friend; never imagined that he could be the love of my life. Looking back, it was so obvious…


	2. Sophomore

**Sophomore**

The first day at a new school was frightening enough at the best of times, but for Nick Duval, it was doubly so, coming as it did at the start of his sophomore year. His family had only moved to Ohio a few weeks earlier, leaving behind the life they had known on the outskirts of Chicago. He had therefore lost all of his friends; and now he was being sent to an all boys school for the first time. Which was really unfair, as when was he going to get the opportunity now to meet a new girlfriend?

Dalton Academy was far grander than the public school he had attended back in Illinois, and as a result, far more intimidating. He had been given his timetable and a plan of the school. Nick was good with geography, so the latter was easy to follow, or would be if he wasn't being jostled by the senior boys hurrying along. 'Never mind,' he thought, 'I've survived the first two periods, now to find English..' His first two classes had been uneventful, and he was gratified to know that he wasn't the only person that felt, or at least looked, scared. There had been that boy in front of him in Math with the overdose of hair gel. Others had of course been here before, like the guy next to him in History - Trent something. He had seemed affable though, so maybe in time he could at least make one friend here…

Then he was at his English class, approaching the teacher to enquire where he was to sit - desk allocation was a tradition at Dalton. His deskmate had not arrived yet, so Nick busied himself in getting out his paper and pens. Then he sensed someone standing by him. He looked up to see a boy with blond hair - dyed blond hair. He was slightly taller. But he had a wide grin on his face, and unlike many of the other guys, he seemed at ease. "Hey, I'm Jeff Sterling. Guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other this year." "Nick. Nick Duval. Guess we will, yeah." And that was how the most epic of Dalton's bromances had started. The two had exchanged the odd glance at each other during class - when it ended, Jeff had asked him if he wanted to sit with him at lunch. Nick was grateful, as he had been dreading going there alone. He couldn't help but think back to his old life in Woodstock, Illinois. What his old friends would be up to. He missed them all so much already. But there seemed to be something about Jeff that was drawing him to him. He just felt so at ease with him already.

By the end of that first day, Nick had Jeff's phone number (for homework emergencies, Jeff had said.) They had discovered a mutual liking of music, of corny jokes, and a similar sense of humour. By the end of that week, it was like they had always known each other, and Nick had made friends with Trent (Nixon), who it turned out was a long term cohort of Jeff's and the gel boy, Blaine, who like Nick had only arrived at Dalton that year. He had been badly bullied at his last school and had transferred in. They shared most of the same classes. When the poster went up asking for people to sign up for Warbler auditions, they discovered something all four had in common - a love of singing. Jeff and Trent were already members, and they encouraged their two new friends to sign up. When time came to audition, they had both passed - but Nick had to admit that Blaine had the best voice. So when he was selected as the youngest lead soloist in generations, he was pleased for his friend.

It had been in his second week at Dalton that he had found himself invited, alongside Trent and Blaine, to Jeff's house on Friday night, for a gaming marathon. They had played for hours, but then as the time came near to going to sleep, somehow the chat had turned onto sex. Some would say that with teenage boys, that was inevitable. That night, Nick realised that he was the odd one out in his little circle of friends. He was the straight guy. He would never have guessed from the way they acted. His surprise at the revelation meant that he missed the moment that Jeff's face had fallen as he announced that he was straight. The other two boys didn't. The fact that his three best friends were gay didn't bother Nick one bit. His older cousin, his father's sister's son, had come out a few months earlier. Anyway, he liked these guys, and it meant he had no competition for the girls when he was with them.

By the time his first Thanksgiving at Dalton had come around, it was as if he had never been anywhere else. He had made more than enough friends to keep him occupied at all times, mainly through the Warblers. He was amongst the youngest there, but all of them, from the eldest Wes, who ruled with a gavel of iron (but was a big softy at heart) to the newest, Kurt, really cared for him as they all did for each other. It was the Warbler code. They had to look out for each other, and be supportive when problems arose. It was at only their third Warblers' meeting that they finally discovered why Blaine had come to Dalton. He had told his story with the odd tear running down his cheek, the supportive arm of Wes wrapped around him. Nick had been horrified - he couldn't understand why anyone would beat someone up so badly just because they liked guys. Guiltily he remembered that he had witnessed homophobic bullying at his old school, and had done nothing to stop it. Now, however, he would do all in his power to prevent his three friends coming to any harm.

Kurt's arrival had of course changed the dynamics of his close circle of friends. Blaine had appeared at the last minute for one of their impromptu performances towing Kurt behind him. Nick and Jeff could tell from the look on Kurt's face that day that Blaine had an admirer. Then came a day when Blaine sent Nick a text asking him to cover him as he had to leave school on a mercy mission. He had done so, but never found out what the errand was. A few weeks later, Kurt was back, in a Dalton uniform. A mid-term transfer from a public school. He joined their circle, and Nick quickly realised that he was now even more outnumbered. It didn't matter.

As the new year started, things began to develop in an interesting way. Nick could tell from a mile off that Kurt was in love with Blaine, but his friend seemed totally clueless, more interested in a guy he had met at the Lima Bean once. He wasn't dating at the moment either, although there were a number of girls at Dalton's sister school, Crawford County, that he admired from afar. It was ok because neither Jeff or Trent were seeing anyone either. Trent seemed hung up on working out if there was anyone else in the ranks of the Warblers was gay - so far, he was only suspicious about Thad. As for Jeff, he admitted quietly that there was someone that he liked, but that he was in the same position as Kurt. That made Nick feel so sad…

February came and with it that season of the year when love dominated. Nick wasn't really interested in the whole Valentine's idea. Sure, it was nice to celebrate love and the ideal of being in love, but when you weren't with someone, it kinda sucked. That year, only one of his close friends was in that situation - or so he had thought. It turned out that the guy Blaine liked wasn't interested - to make matters worse, he found this out after he had serenaded him in public. The whole thing had turned into quite a watershed moment - he confided in Nick a few days later that Kurt had confessed to being in love with him, and that scared him. He didn't want to lose a friend, but he wasn't sure if he loved Kurt as much as he loved him. The dynamic of their friendship remained intact, and all of the Warblers had ended up singing at Breadstix on Valentine's Day. A day when Nick had received one card…

Only a few weeks later, however, came a moment that no-one had expected. When Kurt announced to Nick, Jeff and Trent that Blaine had kissed Rachel Berry and was taking her out on a date, there had been a stunned silence. He had always seemed so sure of his sexuality. It was after his date with Rachel that he confessed to Nick that he wasn't so sure anymore. There had just been something in that moment - maybe his sexuality was more fluid than he had thought - maybe everybody's was. After all, was Nick 100% sure that he was straight? The suggestion had not offended him, but neither did it make him rush out to see if he was even slightly gay. To no-one's surprise, but to Kurt's obvious delight, Blaine returned to certainty after a surprise kiss at the Lima Bean.

But the damage had been done to the relationship between them. Something then took place after Blaine had decided that they needed to sex up their routine, and they had performed for a handful of girls from Crawford. That was a frustrating day for Nick, as he watched both Blaine and Jeff being offered phone numbers - but no-one came to him. 'Typical' he thought. 'All of these girls and they all go for the gay guys.' He would never understand women. The day after, and there was an icy chill over their group. Blaine had said something; Kurt had taken umbrage. Although a degree of cordiality was soon restored, the other three in the group sensed that Kurt was fed up with some aspects of Blaine's behaviour.

Then came an unexpected death. The moment that Kurt flung open the doors and stepped into rehearsal in an all black mourning outfit had been a shock - what he announced broke hearts. Pavarotti was their collective mascot - his demise affected them all. The song that Kurt sang moved them near to tears - but caused Blaine to smile. That night, he confided in Nick that he had come to a realisation in that moment - that he loved Kurt, and wanted to be with him. All he had to do now was prove it to him. Giving up a solo for a duet at Regionals was a start, and a decision which they all happily endorsed.

When Blaine finally kissed Kurt, Nick was amongst the happiest for the two of them. Kurt had often seemed so lonely and out of it at Dalton, more hung up on his old friends at McKinley High. Not that he wasn't fun to hang out with at the odd party that was held. He was one of the sweetest guys Nick had ever had the pleasure to have met. Despite everything he had been through, he still thought more of others than of himself. The duet at Regionals had shown to everyone just how strong the feelings were between his two friends - it had even reduced one of the New Directions to tears. It might have been the emotion of the performance that counted against them, and allowed the New Directions to win - they would never know, and to be honest, most of them didn't care. They had Klaine and that was more important than any trophy.

It broke Nick's heart as much as it did Blaine's when Kurt decided to go back to his old school. Jeff if anything felt it more - as he put it at the time, Kurt knew what he was going through. They had made their way en masse to Lima to say goodbye to Kurt at his school. They had all held back their tears, with the exception of Blaine, at the time, but on their way back, Jeff had broken down and ended up in Nick's arms. His departure left a hole in the Warblers line up, not only depriving them of his wonderful countertenor, but also causing Blaine to become increasingly withdrawn. Their were far fewer moments of spontaneous song. Of course, their group of five still hung out together from time to time, but it was obvious that Klaine time took priority for Blaine, and rightly so. They still wondered if Kurt had made the right decision - it gave him a trip to Nationals in New York, but also the trauma of being made Prom Queen. It had taken all of Blaine's powers of persuasion to stop a mass Warbler attack on McKinley. As the year ended, the priority for Nick was to find that elusive girlfriend, and someone worthy for both Jeff and Trent.


	3. Into Junior Year

**Into Junior Year**

Having initially dreaded the prospect of being at Dalton, Nick was sad when the summer vacation began. It meant that he would be away from his friends on a daily basis - and his parents would expect him to be at home several days a week in only their company. He had introduced all of them to his folks, but none of them seemed to meet up to what his father expected his friends to be like. Blaine was the one they liked the most, as he was interested in football and quiet. Jeff was too lively for their liking, Trent too quiet and as for Kurt… Then, to make matters worse, his elder sister announced that she would be coming home for the last two weeks of his holidays. He loved Grace, he really did and the eight year age gap had never been an issue. It was just that by coming home, he would be cut off from his friends for those two weeks completely.

The final straw seemed to come when his mother informed him three days after school ended that she and his father would be taking a vacation of their own, and as he was still too young in their eyes to be left alone, he would be going to stay with his father's sister in Chicago. It would be a nice change for him - he could even catch up with his old friends. 'Yeah,' thought Nick. 'It's not like Aunt Helen lives on the opposite side of the city or anything from Woodstock.' He was feeling quite down when he went to meet Jeff as arranged at the Lima Bean. He poured out his tale of woe and was shocked when his friend started to laugh. "When do you go?" Jeff asked. "Monday. For three weeks. I might as well resign myself to not seeing you guys until next term. It sucks."

"I know. My folks are sending me away whilst they take a break too. I leave on Monday, for my Uncle Alan's…..in Chicago. He lives in the south side of the City and from what you've said before, I'll be about eight blocks from you."

Nick was flabbergasted. Suddenly, what had seemed to be a disaster was turning into a delight. Those three weeks were some of the best of his life so far. He saw Jeff every day, spent a lot of time showing him the sights. Their relatives, it turned out, knew each other. Those three weeks made up for the rest of the vacation being a virtual washout.

The start of Nick's junior year at Dalton was at first been no different to the end of the previous year. Jeff was constantly at his side, making him laugh and smile between classes - he was always more disciplined during them, as he knew the faculty would separate them if they misbehaved. Trent seemed a little more confident that year, no longer feeling so alone. Blaine was still hung up on Kurt, texting him several times on that first day, before disappearing as soon as the day ended for a coffee date at the Lima Bean. The next day, he seemed so pensive, and through the first Warbler meeting of the year, he might as well not have been there, much to the consternation of the two remaining members of the council, Thad and David. Wes was much missed, and this was only the first meeting. After much discussion Flint was voted in to the final council position.

Afterwards, Nick sought Blaine out and found him staring off into space in the school library. "Ok, Blaine, spill. Something is going on, and I am not going anywhere until you tell me. Just be warned I am supposed to be meeting Jeff in twenty minutes, and you know how hyper he can get if people don't show. Do you want that on your conscience?" Blaine smiled, and spoke. "Hypothetical question for you. If something you loved more than anything else in the world was taken away from you, just how far would you go to get it back? If it meant leaving your comfort zone, would you do it?" "Would I give up everything I knew for love? If I was sure that the thing in question was the key to my future happiness, then yes, I would leave everything behind to be with them…. It's Kurt, isn't it? It's not a hypothetical one at all - you're thinking about going to McKinley to be with him…" Blaine looked at his friend with shock. "It is so obvious Blaine. You need him, you barely function without him. Do you even know who was elected to the Council just now?" Blaine shook his head. "People say you should go with your head - but sometimes, you need to follow your heart, Whatever you decide to do, I'll be here for you - whether it's here at Dalton, or at the end of the phone from McKinley." After giving Blaine a hug, Nick left to meet Jeff, keeping what he knew to himself.

Two days later, Nick walked into the school and was confronted by a sobbing Jeff and a heartbroken Trent. That Blaine had left to go back to public school was still a shocker, even though he had known that it was coming. That he had not spoken to him to confirm his decision had at first hurt, but he understood the reasons behind his decision. He didn't tell his two other friends about his encounter with Blaine. He had pretended to be as oblivious as everyone else when he had appeared, dressed in his own clothes, at the start of the next Warblers meeting to explain why he had left. They could all understand his reasoning, but as Thad stated, it put them in a difficult position. If Blaine joined the New Directions, he became a competitor. Still their friend, but no longer privy to their secrets. He had nodded, and left the room, planning to meet them all for one last coffee in the refectory when they had finished. Little was discussed at that subdued meeting. They had auditions to prepare for, and a new lead soloist to select. If nothing else, thought Nick, his departure might mean that I will get more solos - and maybe I could aspire to the lead…

At auditions, one guy stood out above all the others. He was not completely new to Dalton, having been there at the start of Trent and Jeff's freshman year. He had left halfway through as his parents had to move with work to Paris. He had been a member of the Warblers then, and now he was back. The Council insisted that he had to audition again, but Nick could tell by the smiles on their faces that he was going to get in. His voice was good - nowhere near as good as Blaine's, he thought loyally, but certainly better than his. He knew at that moment that he had no hopes of being the lead soloist. It was certain to go to the newbie. The vote was almost unanimous - he noted with gratitude that Jeff and Trent had voted for him. He had not bothered to vote for himself. The needs of the group had to come first.

Sebastian Smythe wasn't as easy to handle as Blaine, and was certainly more self-centred. Nonetheless, Nick made an effort to befriend him, as he still wanted an occasional chance to be a soloist, and being on good terms with the lead was essential to achieve that. For all his snarkiness and his putdowns, Sebastian became a friend. Once again Nick found that he had made friends with a gay guy, only a far wilder one than the others. The stories he told about his conquests in Paris made them all blush. It was his promiscuous sexual behaviour that had caused his parents to send him back to Ohio and away from the fleshpots of gay Paris. One night, Sebastian insisted on taking them all out. He dragged Nick, Jeff and Trent to a club called Scandals….that had been an eye-opener in more ways than one. Firstly, that they would so easily serve alcohol to all of them, even with the really poor false ID that Sebastian supplied. Then Nick found himself having to stand up to a guy who was pestering Jeff and wouldn't take no for an answer. When a slightly drunk Jeff had hugged him and kissed him on the cheek to say thanks, he had thought nothing of it. It was just a part of how close they all were as friends. He didn't even flinch when Jeff kept whispering "I love you Nicky" in his ear on the drive home. The next day Jeff had been mortified at his behaviour, and so scared that Nick would hate him. "That will never happen," had been Nick's response. He liked Jeff too much to let a drunken mistake ruin everything.

Things were going so well for them all that year. The Warblers aced Sectionals, partly down to a solo by Nick; he felt confident at Dalton and was getting good grades; and he had a group of friends that he could rely on. Then Sebastian nearly destroyed everything. Nick was not unaware of the attraction that Sebastian had towards Blaine. He saw the way that Kurt glowered at him. Then the whole issue of Michael Jackson songs had erupted. Had Nick been in charge, he would simply have compromised and chosen to take the high road and let the New Directions perform them. He was sure that if Wes had been around, he would have agreed. But the Council seemed to be in thrall to Sebastian, and agreed to his idea of a sing off showdown for the right to sing the songs.

It was a reluctant Nick who went along to the underground car park. If they were going to have a sing off, then why not in an auditorium or a choir room? He could see that his two best friends were also a bit unnerved by the situation. As they were walking to the venue, Sebastian asked him to carry a bag for him. It seemed such an innocent request at the time; he didn't consider what was inside, even though he could feel the cold coming through the paper. He still had no idea what was in the bag when he handed it to Sebastian. The aftermath had left him feeling sick. He wanted to stay, as did Jeff and Trent to see that their friend was alright, but they had been dragged away by the others. The next day, the three of them retreated to a quiet corner at Dalton and had almost immediately burst into tears. They had sent a text message of apology to both Kurt and Blaine the night before, but had received no response.

In the end, it all turned out ok. They had almost resigned themselves to the end of their friendship with Blaine and Kurt, particularly when they discovered the extent of his injuries. They decided that if things could not be fixed, then they would quit the Warblers in protest at the actions of both Sebastian as an individual and the Council for not reprimanding him. They had all been relieved when they were invited to McKinley, where they had been given a chance to show that they were against Sebastian. Trent had been the first to jump up on stage, Nick and Jeff only moments behind him. That had been enough to convince Kurt of their sincerity, and both he and Blaine had forgiven them. On top of that, they had found new friends in Santana and Brittany. In fact, all of the New Directions seemed pretty friendly afterwards. Trent had been disappointed that they had not had longer to chat, as he had missed the chance to talk to one guy in particular. A nice little Irish boy. But something else was on the horizon that was going to test their friendship, and once again, Sebastian was right in the centre.


	4. Why Jeff came to Dalton

**Why Jeff came to Dalton **

That one night at Scandals had been enough to convince Nick that gay bars in Ohio should really be avoided. It wasn't that he hadn't enjoyed himself, or hadn't been flattered by the appraising looks he was getting from the other patrons. It was the fact that he had had to defend Jeff from someone who was old enough to be his father. That had put him off. The fact that he had basically to shout at the guy to leave them alone for the best party of twenty minutes before he finally go the hint. There was also the fact that Trent had been cowering in a corner like a frightened rabbit for most of the time. No, anytime Sebastian even suggested it could happen again, there was a no thanks from all three of them. Maybe when they left school and were at college, then it could happen again - somewhere more metropolitan like New York.

Sebastian still went, disappearing late in the evening, and returning to Dalton early in the morning, with racy tales and on more than one occasion, a hickey. He made Nick blush with his exploits, and reminded him of his own status in the relationship stakes. He had yet to make a single notch on his mythical bed post - Sebastian's must be rapidly taking on the appearance of Swiss cheese. Nick did worry that one day his friend would take things too far, end up with the wrong man and get hurt. Or catch something. Even the thought of it made him shudder. Still, there was nothing he could do to stop him on his quest.

The Saturday that things imploded started off ordinarily enough. Sebastian had wandered in to the dorms just after 3am, waking up half the Warblers in the process, and earning him an ear-bashing from Thad. When Nick went to knock gingerly on his door just after 10, and found his friend dead to the world, still fully clothed, face down on the bed. He had obviously walked into the room and literally fallen onto the bed. He smelt as he usually did when he'd been out - of cheap booze, cigarette smoke and to be blunt, of men. There was a grunt from the boy as Nick pulled the curtains open. "What time is it Duval? If you say anything in single figures I will end you - unless those figures happen to be 1 or 2..." said Sebastian.

"It's just after 10 - Thad told me to tell you to, and I quote 'get your scrawny carcass out of bed, get washed, tidy your dorm and see him after lunch'. Please do not shoot the lowly messenger."

With a groan, Sebastian pulled himself up from the bed - Nick knew it was time to leave, particularly when he saw the evidence of what he had done the night before in his hair…

Lunch had been eaten, and a cleaned up Sebastian had joined them. It was then that Nick had received the text, asking him to call Blaine at once. He was immediately curious and quickly phoned his friend. What he heard in the next two minutes chilled him to the bone. Worse still, he knew that he now had to pass the message on to Sebastian. He went firstly to see Thad, and let him know what had happened. He agreed to sit with Nick as he told his friend what had happened. He had arrived as his usual self, full of self confidence and ready to talk back to Thad. He did a slight double take when he saw Nick sitting there. Then it was time. Time to relay the message - that David Karofsky had tried to kill himself that morning. Had been found just in time by his father. Was in hospital, barely clinging to life. Blaine had found out from Kurt; he had been given the information, with the permission of Mr Karofsky, by Carole who just happened to be on duty when he was brought in. The only possible reason for his attempt - he had been outed at his new school, taunted on social media and possibly, although no-one was absolutely sure, had been insulted one final time the previous night by someone when he was out.

It was that last part of the message that made the greatest impact on Sebastian. His face had changed slowly as Nick had spoken, but that was the clincher. That was the sentence that made him horror struck. He had been the last person to speak to Karofsky before he had left Scandals last night. From what he had just heard, he was one that tipped him over the edge. For the first time ever, Nick and Thad saw Sebastian cry. That told them what they needed to know too. Nick had left Thad to try and comfort his distressed friend. He needed to speak to someone too. He needed to try and understand why someone would want to kill themselves just because they were gay. To him, it was no big deal. He knew that not everyone saw it that way, but to want to end your life? That he could not comprehend.

He found Jeff sitting quietly in one of the study rooms, a pile of books and paper in front of him. He was pretending to work - Nick had seen this before and chortled to himself. He went in and sat next to his friend, who immediately spotted his face and asked what was wrong. So he told him, every detail, including the involvement of Sebastian. "Poor guy," said Jeff, when Nick had finished. "I know that he was horrible to Kurt, but no-one deserves to feel so lost, so alone that…" He sighed, before starting again. "Kurt will be feeling so guilty if I know him right - he'll feel he should have done more after the whole Valentine's Day situation." Nick gave him a curious look, but Jeff just blushed and said "Forget that last bit. Kurt will tell you one day. Maybe. I know how it can feel though. To have everyone attacking you, and all you want is for it to stop. I trust you Nick, so maybe it's time I told you the whole story of how I came to be at Dalton. The only other person I have ever told was Wes, and he has never repeated it. I know you will be the same..."

"I first realised that I liked guys when I was in my last year of middle school. I was quite the soccer player then, and was in the school team. It was during a match that I spotted a guy on the other team. He was beautiful - a bit like Blaine in appearance to give you an idea. And let us just say that I felt stirrings - and it became quite obvious to anyone that looked that I had seen someone I liked. One of the other guys on my team noticed, and realised where I was looking. I never saw that other boy again. Mainly because I never played soccer for the school again. Because that team of boys, who had been my friends up until that point, suddenly became my enemies. There was talk in the changing room after the game, but it was at our next practice that it hit, quite literally. Suddenly I was the target for the ball; a foot would come out and trip me up as I ran; someone's arm in the end 'accidentally' hit me in the face during a tackle. Back in the locker room, the taunts began - queer, fag, homo - you know the rest. My locker was vandalised, the word fag scratched into it. For everyone to see. The whole school knew. The guys on the team were the first to bully me. They weren't the last. I tried to tell the teachers, but just as in the case of Blaine, of Kurt, they weren't interested. My soccer coach, as he cut me from the team because I was disrupting practice, told me I needed to man up."

Nick sat silently as his friend told his story. The thought that such a good, kind guy like Jeff had been subjected to such hatred made his blood boil. He wanted to go back in time to that school, to stand at Jeff's side and punch those idiots in the face for ever hurting his friend. He quietly made a promise to himself that he would protect Jeff from any bully in the future, regardless of what cost there was to him. He feared that the tale was nowhere near over, and he was right to. Jeff took a deep breath, then carried on. "At least when I left the school gates, the torment ceased. Until the day when finally, it didn't. Somebody had found out that my parents were going to be away for the day and that they trusted me enough to leave me at home, alone. They left at ten, the first of the bullies arrived at ten past. I was stupid enough to open the door… when they finally got bored and left at around one, I was black and blue all over. My nose had been punched so often that I had dried blood caked under it. My clothes were ripped and torn; my room and my possessions destroyed. So was my spirit. I thought that I had at least another six hours until my parents came home. It would be long enough. I knew where my mother kept the pills, and I knew she had some sleeping tablets. So I took them, washing them down with a swig of my father's bourbon. I just went to lie on my bed and let the darkness wash over me."

"Fortunately, my mother had taken unwell and so they arrived home just before two. To find the house in disarray, the empty pill bottle next to the open bourbon, and finally me, out cold in my shattered room. They pumped my stomach, saved my life. When I woke up in the hospital I cried. Begged the poor nurse to just let me die. Reduced my dad to tears when he heard me. To this day I have not told anyone exactly which boys came to the house that day. The school ended up punishing nobody as a result. It would have done no good anyway. They all went on to the local high school and I came here - to my safe haven. I was given a mentor in my first week - I was told everyone had one, but it turns out it was only me and Trent. He was a junior, who managed to bring me back to what I am now. Did the same with Trent. Even managed to convince me to join a gang of reprobates known as the Warblers. There are some days when I really miss Wes…"

Nick could only stare at his friend - his best friend. A boy who spread happiness throughout Dalton, was always laughing and smiling. That he could once have been so unhappy, so desperate that he would consider taking his own life broke his heart. He didn't know exactly how long he had been crying for when Jeff finished his little tale and looked up. "Oh, Nick, don't cry. It was a long time ago, and I swear to you that I would never even think about doing anything like that again. Why would I? I have a great life here at Dalton. I have a new passion - art. That was Wes as well you know. I'd always enjoyed drawing and painting; he saw that and pushed me to the Art Club. I have a talent, or so they tell me. That's one of the reasons why I have decided that I'm going to art school when I leave here. Most importantly of all though, I have a close circle of friends that gets me, understands me and cares. Especially you, Nick. You are without a doubt the best friend I have ever had - I never want that to change."

He stopped speaking, found a handkerchief in his pocket and wiped at Nicks eyes. His friend smiled back at him. "You're my best friend too Jeff. Together, we are unstoppable. I don't ever see circumstances in which that will end. You know that I haven't got much choice in what I do after school - the Duvals have been lawyers for generations, and I would like to go into law, not for the same reasons as my dad, but to help the poor. I sound so worthy when I say that but it's what I want to be - a lawyer that specialises in seeing that everyone gets their rights. So, we need to find a college that has an excellent art department and a good law school…that's if you like the idea of us going to college together…" He could tell just by looking at Jeff's face that he was all for it.

Nick made a silent vow of his own that day. That whatever happened from now on, he would be there for his friend. No matter what the situation, no matter how difficult or dangerous, he would be there, at his side. Together, they were strong, apart they were weak. He was scared of how close they had become sometimes. He could tell what he was thinking just from the look on his face. A face that he never wanted to see looking sad or broken. He cared so much for him. He knew what some people thought of their friendship, knew his father disapproved, but that didn't matter. He would always have his back, just as he knew that Jeff would always have his.

Their own future decided, they moved on to helping Sebastian. They encouraged him to go and visit Karofsky and apologise for his behaviour. They pushed him into making a call at Regionals for donations for charity; better still, to ending his battle with Kurt and accepting that Klaine was unshakeable. Having lost out at Regionals, the two friends, with Trent by their side, spent more time with him, and they all noticed that he stopped heading out to Scandals quite so often. It was still a shock when he took it on his own initiative to congratulate the New Directions on their Nationals win and organised a party. That night was a triumph - and when Wes appeared, the joy for both Warblers and New Directions was complete.

So Junior year ended on a high. Everyone was friends, more or less. No-one could have anticipated that the next few months would be some of the worst in their lives. At that point, nobody had even heard of Hunter. Soon, they all would flinch at his name….


	5. A Year to forget

**A Year to forget**

The summer between his Junior and Senior years was a good one for Nick. He had begun to plot with Jeff in the spring, and both of them had worked on their parents. As a result, Nick found himself on his way to his aunt's in Chicago again, this time for an entire month - the same month that Jeff would just happen to be staying with his uncle. Once again the two boys had a blast, particularly during the last week, when Trent joined them - they had managed to organise him an invitation from Jeff's uncle too. It was quite a relief for them all to get away from Dalton, where the last few days of the term had been incredibly sad. That year had seen the departure of so many good guys from the Warblers - David and Thad, both off to UCLA; Flint and Beats, both of to Princeton; and Drew and Ethan, off to Oxford and Cambridge respectively.

This seemed to open up the chance for Nick, Jeff or Trent to get a place on the council - indeed it was highly likely that all three of them would end up on it. Finally, they would have a chance to show how much they had learned from their years in the group. More importantly, they would have the chance to boss Sebastian around, as his position as lead soloist would depend on him keeping in their good books. It was not all done and dusted yet though. Normally there would have been at least one member of the Council carrying on from the year before, who would take charge of the election process. That was not the case that year, and so that role would fall to the Principal. The new Principal, given that Mr Carmichael had retired. His replacement was not universally liked - as the former assistant Principal, he had shown little respect for the Warblers or their traditions.

The new school year started normally enough. The first Warbler meeting of the year was a raucous affair - as the only appointee left, Sebastian had tried to take some kind of charge, but the meeting had quickly dissolved into a free for all. The noise attracted attention of course, and resulted in the boys being sent home, and with a trip to the school office for Sebastian. His three friends waited for him to come out, and were greeted by a face so sour that they feared the worst. He had been told in no uncertain terms that he had to consider his position as the behaviour of his cohorts had not befitted the school. It took quite a while for Trent to eventually manage to raise a smile from him.

That weekend, they found another person who had no reason to smile. A tearful Blaine had called Nick on Friday night to say that Kurt had gone to New York - that it had been his suggestion, but now he was regretting it. His four friends in the Warblers took it upon themselves to attempt to cheer him up, and insisted that he come to Jeff's for a night of dvds and games. He had, and after he had initially made them all feel quite sad themselves, they worked on getting him to smile. Luckily, it took little more than putting on a film that Wes had always had handy to cheer up the group - Monty Python's _The Life of Brian_. Watching that, combined with Nick doing his best silly voice on the line _"He's not the messiah - he's a very naughty boy." _soon had a smile back on Blaine's face. Life was hard, but they could always find something to cheer them up.

That was until the day that Nick, Jeff and Trent walked in to Warbler practice to hear the new Principal announce that the Warblers had a new member - his nephew, Hunter. He was put up for election to head of the Council alongside the three boys. How he won, they didn't know, but by the end of that meeting, the Council was disbanded. Furthermore, they were told that if anyone had any complaints about the new order that was coming in, they knew where the door was to leave. That should have been the cue for the three friends to go, but they loved singing too much. When the New Directions trophy appeared in the Senior Commons, that should have been another sign that they should go, even if it was only being used as a way to lure back Blaine. All three of the boys would have welcomed that - they missed him, as he had become very distant since his break up with Kurt. Nick had been shocked to say the least when he heard from an equally stunned Trent that Blaine had cheated. In the end, he had stayed at McKinley. This had made Hunter even more mad, more determined to win.

The less said about the whole steroid incident the better as far as Nick was concerned. He knew it was wrong; hadn't wanted to get involved, but once again, it was take part or quit. When he saw Jeff line up to take his shot, he had been horrified - he couldn't believe his best friend was doing it. When Trent refused, Nick was faced with a choice - follow Trent out of the door, or break his principles of fairness and honesty to stay and protect Jeff. The latter won, his vow of protection for his friend stronger than anything else. The steroids certainly had an effect on their performance - it was their best ever. At the same time though, the whole choir was disintegrating - it was no longer a band of musical brothers, but a group of men united by fear. Nick was starting to feel that he was losing his mind. He was still friends with Trent, but their meetings had to be in secret, as Hunter had made it quite clear that he was persona non grata.

Of course, in the end, the truth came out, and Nick was ashamed that he had not been able to stand next to Trent and state that he was clean. If that was not bad enough, things had happened in those last hours before Finn Hudson had gone to the show choir governing board which had left them all shaken. Nick had managed to keep his vow to Jeff, but had suffered for it. Sebastian too had been left immensely shaken by the whole affair, both physically and mentally - he had been keeping two identities going for some time - one for Hunter, and one for his friends. Jeff had been left deeply upset by the whole thing. Nick would be invited over for a sleepover, and it would end with a sobbing Jeff curled up in Nick's arms. Nick would be crying too, upset for his friend and for himself. Having Jeff in his arms felt right and comfortable. For a while, it felt like they had lost Trent as a friend, but gradually things there returned to normal. Sebastian was also brought firmly into their circle - his former attitude forgotten in the face of such scandal.

Life was not kind that year, especially to poor Jeff. He ended up having to take some time away from school. Nick was there to support him, taking him his work so that he would not fall behind, and reminding him that he needed to keep on top of things so they could go to college together. As a result of this, he was absent from Dalton when Blaine arrived to tell everyone that he was going to propose to Kurt, and needed their help. Nick had given him a full account of everything and had even had him on the phone as the whole thing panned out. He nearly screamed down the phone when Kurt said yes, then burst into tears as he had missed it. The video that was posted on Youtube of that moment made up for it in some small way. It certainly seemed so as he had lain against Nick on his bed and watched it with him. When Kurt and Blaine came to visit him the next day, it gave him a fillip - so much so that he was soon back at school.

Hunter was expelled; his uncle removed by the board of governors. Mr Carmichael agreed to return and life at Dalton had returned to its normal tenor - almost. The Warblers were still pariah figures, even though they had partially redeemed themselves with their contribution to the proposal. There was still no Council in the old sense - instead of running their own affairs, the boys were under the control of a faculty member. This was not an issue to the boys, particularly as it was the French mistress, one of the few faculty members that had tried to help them. She had been sacked by Hunter's uncle, but was swiftly reinstated by the governors. She kept her involvement as hands off as possible, leaving Trent and Nick in more or less day to day charge. But it wasn't the same, and for the four friends, it felt as if they had let the side down and betrayed the legacy left to them by Wes. They could only hope to instil in the upcoming generation a sense of honour and decency that had been lost whilst Hunter had been in charge.

Just as things at Dalton began to resume some sense of normality, tragedy struck for one of their past members. It was Trent that got the call from Sam. What he heard made his own problems that year pale into insignificance. He made his way afterwards to Nick and Jeff's dorm room; he and Sebastian had both been expected there anyway for a study session. The moment he entered the room, the other three could see that something was wrong. "I just had a call from Sam. Kurt's stepbrother, Finn - he's dead. There was an accident on the freeway…" Their hearts broke for their friend's loss - they knew that Blaine would be suffering too. All four of them attended the funeral, sitting quietly at the back. Kurt was grateful to them all, accepting their sympathies and giving a hug to each of them. No-one was more shocked about the last part of that than Sebastian. The tensions of the past were forgotten for a moment in a shared sense of loss. Finn had after all played a major part in saving them from Hunter.

Back at Dalton, they all had something more important to occupy their minds. The end of the school year was fast approaching - they had exams to sit, essays to right. On top of that, there was college to think about. Trent was furthest ahead, having had most free time - he had applied to and been more or less excepted by George Washington in DC where he intended to study politics. Sebastian was intending to take a year out after his experiences, and would be going to London to intern at the stock broking firm of a family friend. Nick and Jeff had applied to both Yale and Colombia - Nick had been forced to apply to Harvard, his father's alma mater. He had not made the best application in the world on purpose to try and ensure that he did not get in. The risk was that the family name would come into play. Jeff knew that Nick did not want to go there - and he certainly didn't want to go to Harvard himself. So, on the grounds that if Nick did find himself landed with Harvard, he would at least have Wes, he applied for UCLA, so he would have Thad and David.

Neither boy wanted to leave the other behind. The events of that year had brought them even closer than they had been previously. The rest of the students at Dalton knew that if you found Nick, Jeff would be nearby. Trent and Sebastian overheard themselves being described as the gooseberries by one of the younger Warblers - they were even more bemused one day to hear one of the teachers referring to Niff. Neither of the boys said anything to the other two. All that Trent would say was that he hoped that nothing would ruin their college plans. Because the fall out from that, in spite of what both of them said, would be huge.

Two weeks before the end of the school year, Nick's father would start a chain reaction…


	6. The Worst Week of my Life

**The Worst Week of my Life**

As Nick walked through the doors of Dalton Academy that fateful morning, it seemed like only yesterday that he had first walked through them - a frightened boy, taken away from everything he knew. Time had flown by so fast. In less than 2 weeks he would be graduating, leaving behind the grand halls, the blazer, the Warblers….and Jeff. His best friend, there for the good times and the bad, almost since the first day. He had been allocated the seat next to him in English class- and that as they say, had been that. Same sense of humour, same sense of mischief, same taste in music. Inseparable in everything. Good friends to others - especially Trent and Blaine - but always as a pair. Of everything that Dalton meant to Nick, not being around Jeff anymore was going to be the hardest thing to lose.

Of course, he had not planned on that. When college applications had been made, they had 'wanted' different courses. Jeff saw his future in art; Nick often wished that he could follow. Years of Duval tradition meant that he, as the only son, had to follow in his father and grandfather's footsteps and instead apply to law school. He was okay with that - he did kind of like the idea of helping people achieve justice. The problem was that his father's alma mater, Harvard, did not offer the course that Jeff wanted. Both Columbia and Yale did, but despite their law schools being every bit as good, if not better, his father would only ever accept them if Harvard said no. On his application there, he had made so many mistakes and tried to make himself sound as undesirable as possible, so that he would receive that flat rejection. Somehow, it hadn't been enough. Probably it had been the Duval name that had lead them to ignore all his blatant errors and omissions. He would not have put it past his father to have intervened on his behalf either. Whatever, he had been accepted, as he had been at both the others.

Only he was not given any choice as to which college he would attend. He had arrived home on Friday evening to discover that his father had opened his letter from Harvard, and called up to accept and confirm on his behalf. Nick had argued that it was his decision; that his father should not have been opening his mail in any case. It was, of course, to no avail, his angry outburst only leading to his mobile phone being taken away and to being grounded for the weekend, missing out as a result on the first of the big Warbler graduation parties at Trent's. It was admittedly to be only one of many, but he felt guilty at letting Jeff down - they had the most perfect prank planned, but it required them both. Worse still, it had delayed the inevitable moment when he had to tell Jeff that he would not be able to go to college with him. That their plan to share a dorm room was over, and that at the end of term, the days of their epic straight guy/gay guy friendship were effectively over.

That moment had finally come the previous day. That Monday, both of them had a free period between their last class and Warbler practice. Nick had asked Jeff to meet him in one of the small study rooms. He had arrived in his usual state - exuberant, happy, a bright smile plastered across his face and that twinkle in his eye that hinted of fun. Nick had no other option other than to come straight out with the truth. That his father had taken control of his life; had punished him for daring to have thoughts and opinions of his own over his college career. That he had no options left, following his father's blunt statement that he could chose another college, if he had enough money of his own to pay for it. Jeff had just sat and listened, sympathising with him over his father, pointing out that Harvard and Yale were only 2 hours or so apart, and that was nothing really. That they could visit each other on weekends; could skype and call daily. The separation would not end their friendship.

Nick did not believe a single word that was coming out of Jeff's mouth. He was saying the right things, but his face was betraying the deep hurt he was feeling. It was an act, a pretence - just like the sudden realisation that he had a book to hand back before he left school that night was a lie. He ran off so that Nick would not see just how upset he was. He didn't want to make the choice forced upon him any more painful. The problem was that Nick knew exactly how he felt - he always knew how Jeff felt. In Warbler practice, Jeff reappeared, but sat next to Trent, not in his usual spot by Nick. All through the rehearsal, he did not look at Nick once, and his voice, usually so audible and clear through the others, just wasn't there. At the end, he grabbed his bag and took off at speed. Nick went to follow, to grab him, try to comfort him, but he was stopped in his tracks by Sebastian. "So, Nicholas, any reason why I found Jeff crying his eyes out in the Science corridor on my way here? I'm making the assumption that you have something to do with it, given that he could not even look at you the entire time he was here, and chose to sit, for the first time in recorded history, nowhere near you…."

Nick ended up telling Sebastian everything. How his father had taken all his choices over college away; how he had then broken the news to Jeff, knowing that the other boy would be devastated, but what else could he do? His father had promised to cut him off without a cent if he defied him and chose to go anywhere but Harvard. His only hope was that with time, Jeff would come round, accept the situation and realise that his friendship with Nick was far too precious to throw away. He would be so close, and he would go and visit him every weekend without fail. Talk on skype every day. What else could he do? Sebastian could only sympathise, but knew deep down that Jeff might never recover from the shock of losing Nick as his college roommate. They all knew, apart from Nick, just how strongly Jeff felt towards him. As for the whole long distance thing, Nick seemed to have forgotten how that had turned out for Blaine and Kurt….

That night, he sent several text messages to Jeff, but received the response that he was expecting - none. He had half hoped that he would be told to get lost. The next day, when Jeff did not appear at school, officially because he had come down with a bad headache, everyone looked at Nick as if he was to blame. He had made him so upset that he could not face him. People avoided talking to him altogether, with the exception of Trent and Sebastian. Both of them had been left in an awkward position. They could understand why Nick had to follow his father's wishes - college was expensive and with no parental support, downright impossible. If he refused to go to Harvard, he wouldn't be going anywhere. Their plans for college would still end up in the bin, and Jeff would be left feeling even more guilty. The only way that things could possibly be sorted was if they went to their respective colleges at first and one of them then transferred. That was a possibility that Nick wanted to investigate.

Jeff finally returned to school on Thursday. He did so only because of an intervention orchestrated by Trent the day before, when, on seeing that Jeff was absent again, Nick had burst into tears. Trent had therefore decided to call up someone that both parties respected, but to leave the big gun, Wes, as his last resort should the first plan fail. That evening, both boys had been called by Blaine, who had been brought up to speed in a long call from Trent. He had been blunt with them both. Nick had been told that he needed to stand up to his father now, or he would be facing a lifetime of being told what to do - where to live, to work, who to marry. His first job was to call Yale and accept his place, then try to figure out how he could escape Harvard. Jeff had been told that if the worst came to the worst and he found himself in New Haven, whilst Nick was in Boston, then they could meet somewhere in the middle on the weekends. Blaine knew just how much the friendship meant to Jeff, and encouraged him to make sure that Nick knew just how much he cared. Even Blaine feared that Jeff was going to end up with a broken heart.

To everyone's relief on that Thursday, the two boys were actually able to be in the same room, and were civil with each other. However, everyone noticed that Jeff still could not look Nick in the eye, and his smile was gone. His answers to questions were monosyllabic. At lunchtime, he vanished, and was eventually found by Trent, crying in the library. The change in his friend made Nick equally depressed. He spent the day walking around in a black mood, as if he had just been told that the world was going to end. In some ways, for him at least, it had. He had managed to destroy the most important friendship in his life because he had been weak and had not stood up to his father. He had done as Blaine had suggested and accepted the place at Yale too, and had resolved to talk to the only people that might help him - his maternal grandparents. They had offered to pay for things for him in the past - just maybe they might help him out with college. He just needed a chance to speak to Jeff, to tell him that their plans could be back on track. Hope he would understand and forgive him. Fill what he was quickly realising was a massive hole in his life, and in his heart.

He didn't get the chance that day. By the time he had left his last class, Jeff had already gone home. Instead, he decided to go and visit his grandparents on the spur of the moment. All his hopes now lay with them. He knew that they disliked many of his father's opinions, and most of his decisions. Hopefully, this would be one that they also disapproved of. He had only one chance to state his case; to make his argument and convince them that his life would be better if he went to Yale instead of Harvard. He put on a hangdog expression, which from the moment he walked through the door had his grandmother's full attention. Today, that face was not difficult to maintain. He explained to them about the plans that he had made with Jeff, and how happy they had both been until the day that his father had taken the decision out of his hands because of a Duval family tradition. He continued by telling them about his father's promise to cut him off if he did not comply with his wishes, meaning that unless he made his life miserable by going to a college where he knew no-one, he would not be going at all. (That of course was a lie - Wes was at Harvard, but what they didn't know….) By the time he left his grandparents that evening, he had a promise of money if he needed it.

On his way home, in a state of euphoria, he sent a text to Jeff - 'All plans back on - will be going to Yale after all.' There was no immediate answer, but that did not concern him unduly. Finally, as he was driving up his street, his phone buzzed. Once he was parked up, he grabbed it, expecting a positive answer. When he looked at the message however, he found to his horror the response 'Don't bother - have just accepted UCLA.' He managed to get himself out of the car, through the front door and into his bedroom before his legs gave way underneath him. He found himself sobbing his heart out, his head throbbing, his chest tight. It was too late. He had lost him, his best friend. He was going to be on the other side of the country now. He would never see him again - ok, that was a tad melodramatic, he would probably see him at Dalton reunions, but that would be it. All of once, he realised just what he would be losing. The most important person in his life. Without him, life would be miserable, dull and totally cheerless.

In the last three days, everything had been cold and bleak. He couldn't imagine what his life was going to be like if he never saw Jeff's smile again. Not to mention being without his laughter at his corny jokes. Not being able to sit quietly and watch dvds together. Not being able to plot elaborate pranks together, or plan ones to play on each other. He wasn't going to let this happen. He had to show Jeff that he had to come to Yale with him. That he was prepared to stand up to his parents, no matter what the cost to himself. His family cutting him off would not matter, as long as he had Jeff there with him. He could survive anything with him by his side. He just wanted to see him smile again - nothing else mattered. He just wanted to throw his arms around him, pull him into a hug and never let him go. No matter how much Jeff protested about it - in fact if he did start to complain then he would just have to silence him with a kiss…


	7. Gentlemen, I give you Niff

**Gentlemen, I give you Niff**

That last admission left Nick startled. Where had that come from? He would kiss Jeff? He wanted to kiss Jeff… Yes, he did want to. More than anything at that moment. He wanted to keep him around forever. He loved him as a friend, always had, but now he realised that there was more to it. Much more. He had always known it, deep down. And he had been too scared to do anything about it. 'Think about it, Nick' a little voice in his head said, 'When did you last have a girlfriend. Or even look at a girl and think she was nice? Before you came to Dalton, wasn't it?' His big worry now was what if Jeff didn't feel that way about him? What if he wanted them to stay as just friends? What if he went away to UCLA and found some surfer type?

He couldn't let that happen. He loved him. Always had. He wanted to open the windows and shout it out loud. All of this time at Dalton, they had just been close friends, when they could have been so much more, if only he had realised what he now knew. He wasn't sure if he was gay, or bi, or if it was just Jeff. All he knew was that he had wasted so much time. Jeff was gay; had come out to him just weeks into their friendship; it had never been an issue. Now, it was an advantage. Thinking back, he seemed to remember Blaine taking him aside once and hinting that Jeff really liked him. If he hadn't been so stupid, they could have had what Blaine and Kurt had, albeit hopefully without the messy break up and the slow reconciliation. Now, he just needed a way to tell him; to show Jeff just how much he meant to him. He realised that the perfect opportunity was available the very next day.

As Nick finally came to the realisation that he wanted to be more than friends with Jeff, the boy in question was on Skype with Kurt. Blaine had, of course, filled his fiancé in with all the details he had gotten from Trent. Kurt knew that Jeff would be taking things hard - he had after all been there himself, only for a far shorter time period than his friend. Blaine had come to realise that he loved Kurt in a few months, whereas Jeff had been waiting for Nick for nearly 3 years. Still, it had been an almighty shock that had jolted Blaine into the realisation - maybe, just maybe the thought of losing Jeff might do the same to Nick. He might always have said he was straight - but Kurt had never been completely convinced, mainly due to a serious lack of evidence.

"So, let me get this right. Nick sent you a text saying he wasn't going to Harvard after all and your plans for Yale are back on…that's a good thing, isn't it?" Kurt said to his friend, who was crying.

"It would be if I hadn't done something really stupid. He told me he had to go there, he had no choice and I was so angry, so upset…" Jeff paused to gulp down another sob. He looked up at Kurt, who nodded at him. "I might have told Yale that I was turning them down; and they might have given the spot to someone else."

"Oh, Jeff," said Kurt, "so now there is no way that you can go to Yale.."

"And he's giving up everything, probably going to destroy his relationship with his family and we still won't be together. So, I sent him a text telling him not to bother, that I have accepted UCLA, and he hasn't replied. I think that I have killed our friendship Kurt. I just have to accept that it is all over - in just over a week we will go our separate ways, and that will be it. I'll never see Nick again…" With that, Jeff burst into tears, and Kurt wished that he was in Ohio, not sat in New York.

"Look, don't talk like that. Call Yale, beg and plead - maybe the other person has rejected them and your place is still open. Find somewhere else nearby - I mean, did you only apply for the two schools?" Kurt smiled as Jeff stopped crying and looking up, began to shake his head. Maybe he had found a glimmer of hope for his friend.

The next day was a big one in the calendar at Dalton Academy. It was the second last Friday of the school year, and therefore the last assembly before graduation. It was the last time the current group of Warblers would sing together for the school. Nick stood in his usual spot, with only Trent between him and Jeff. He had spoken to Trent on the phone late the previous night - he was the only person that knew exactly what he had planned. His friend had been more than happy to help, his excitement clearly audible when he spoke. Trent had promised not to tell anyone else of Nick's plan, but he had broken his word. He knew that they had to have a permanent record of the moment, and that meant finding someone to film it. He knew who the best person for the job was, but that meant having to make a few sneaky calls. He was positive that he would be forgiven for his breach of confidence.

And now, the moment was here. Nick's palms were sweaty, and he had barely been able to sing. The final song over, Sebastian made his way to the front of the stage to speak. Tradition dictated that after the last assembly performance of the year, the head of the Council should address the school, but this year had to be different. Trent was the nominal head, but had decided to give the spot to Sebastian, to allow him to make an apology for the way the Warblers had let the school and themselves down. He was quite startled when he was suddenly dragged to one side by Trent. As he scowled at him, Trent whispered "Sorry mate, change of plan. Someone has something far more important to say." As confusion reigned on stage and in the auditorium, Nick took advantage; he grabbed Jeff and pulled him to the spot where Sebastian should have been standing.

"I want everyone to hear this," began Nick. The hubbub of noise that had started as Trent shoved Sebastian died down. The latter looked at Trent quizzically, at the sheer excitement on his face and realised that something he had never thought possible was about to happen. Nick continued to speak to a now silent hall. "This week has been the worst of my life. I nearly lost the most important person in the world to me. He's been my best friend and my constant companion since my first day here. My father's actions and my own weakness made him move away from me. He told me last night that he is going to be going to college in LA next year, even though I have sorted things out so that I can go to Yale with him as we had planned, not Harvard as my father wants. The only good thing that has come out of all of this is that I have finally realised exactly something that I have been in denial about for a long time - I know now exactly what I want for the rest of my life. To start with, I'm hoping to change Jeff's mind about going to LA by doing one little thing…" With the eyes of the whole school upon them, he suddenly grabbed Jeff by the lapels of his blazer, and pulled his slightly terrified friend towards him. Then Nick kissed him. At first Jeff was frozen with shock, but then he relaxed and fell into the kiss, which became more passionate as the gasps from the rest of the school grew.

"Finally," said Sebastian. "It's taken him long enough to realise something that even I saw on my first day here. The sexual tension between those two has been unbearable for a long time. Who are you texting?"

Trent replied, with a grin, "Wes. To tell him that he owes me $50. As do David, Thad and Flint. It's the easiest money I've ever made. Plus I might have arranged for us to have a little video made as documentary proof that we finally have Niff." He pointed down to the back of the room where Sebastian spotted Blaine standing behind his friend Artie, who was filming the stage. A room where the noise was starting to rise once more. Where the Principal sat looking more and more shocked. To a Blaine that was gesticulating wildly at them.

That was when Sebastian and Trent noticed that things were getting a lot less family friendly on the stage. Nick's blazer was lying on the floor where it had been pushed off by Jeff, whose tie was loose. As Nick began to push Jeff's blazer off, and Jeff made to start unbuttoning Nick's shirt, Trent and Sebastian realised that it was time for them to drag their two friends to a more private spot. It wasn't an easy task by any means, given that they refused to let go of each other, even for a second. Blaine dashed forward, smiling at the flushed Principal, and grabbed the two discarded blazers. Eventually they managed to shove them into the senior commons, where they fell onto a couch, still joined at the lip. They would remain that way for several minutes longer, until they both finally realised that they were no longer in the auditorium.

"So," began Nick, "are you going to ditch UCLA and come to Yale as we had planned? To share a dorm room with me….as my boyfriend…"

"I'd love too, but I can't," Jeff replied. Nick looked back with surprise. "After what you said to me on Monday, I thought that the only way I could deal with it was to get as far away from you as possible. I decided that if I went to UCLA, I could find myself some nice surfer dude and forget about you. I had heard that Yale has a very large gay community, and I had no doubt I could be happy there. But with you only two hours away, I'd have just ended up pining. So I called them on Tuesday and turned my place down. They told me if I did, then it wouldn't be available if I changed my mind." Nick looked back at Jeff with a face etched with misery. He could see tears starting in his eyes. "So, all in all, we'll just have to go for our third choice…"

Nick's face was suddenly filled with hope. "Columbia? I did get an acceptance from them, and from what you are saying I guess you did too?" Jeff nodded. "And if we go there, we are in New York…"

"And then you will be able to see Kurt and me!" said Blaine, who had entered the room quietly, and so gave both boys a start. "Klaine and Niff in NYC - does sound like it might be fun…"

By this time both boys had jumped up to hug Blaine, who informed them why he was there, and what he had been doing at Trent's request. He wound them up slightly by saying that Artie had had to stop filming because it was heading down the road of becoming a XXX rated film. Nick blushed and Jeff hung his head, both knowing that the Principal would be wanting to see them at some point. They remained silent when Blaine told them that the video had already been forwarded to the rest of the Warblers so that those that had already left Dalton could witness the moment. Right on cue, Nick's cell phone began to buzz; he opened it up to reveal a text from Wes which simply said "At long last! :-)" Jeff had also received a message, this time from Kurt which simply said ":-) No more calls saying why can't he see I love him. So happy for you xx" He could only smile at that. He had got the man of his dreams at last. Now came the hard part - keeping him with the conflict that would happen with their parents.


	8. Entering the Fallout Zone

**Enter the Fallout Zone**

As they had both surmised, it wasn't very long until there was a knock on the door, and Principal Carmichael entered the room. His face was far less red than it had been back in the assembly hall, but both Nick and Jeff could see the anger on it. He quickly turned to Blaine, asked him how he was, and then sent him outside. He found Trent and Sebastian waiting there with Artie. "He didn't look happy," said Trent. "I hope he isn't too hard on them. He can't expel them this late in the year, can he?" None of those around him could answer that with any certainty.

"So Mr Duval, Mr Sterling, it has been quite a year for the Warblers. Disgracing the school by becoming hooked on steroids made last year's incident with attempting to blind Mr Anderson pale into insignificance. I accept that Mr Clarington was behind that and went against the wishes of those on the school board that wanted to see all of you expelled and the Warblers permanently disbanded. I accepted the contrition in your hearts and felt that you, along with Mr Smythe, had suffered so much already that it would be unfair. However, today will probably cause ructions that even I cannot defuse. The school has strict rules on Personal Displays of Affection, as you are well aware - they are to be discrete. What I and everyone else in the assembly hall, including for your information two senior governors, witnessed just now was not discrete - it was a blatant disregarding of the rules, and as such, even at this late stage in the school year, there have to be consequences. But as you know, I am a fair man, so you may try and defend your actions…"

"Sir, I want you to know that Jeff had no idea what was about to happen. He is completely innocent in all of this, and should not be punished for it," began Nick. "I have been here at Dalton for three years, and met him on my first day. I always thought of him as just my best friend, though I think that he might always have been hopeful that something more might develop in time. My parents never really liked Jeff for one reason - his sexuality. He has never once been allowed to stay at my house; I had to fight to get to stay at his, and more often that not I had to tell them I was staying with Blaine. I suppose that subconsciously I picked up on the homophobia that they showed towards Jeff and kept my feeling for him in check. Then, a week ago, I cam home to discover that my father had chosen my college for me, and my plans to go to school with Jeff had been destroyed. I was devastated; when Jeff couldn't even look at me after he found out it only got worse. I realised that the only way I could be happy was to defy my father and stick to our original plans. I just had to find a way to show him that I really meant it…"

"And how better to show Mr Sterling than to very publicly out yourself on stage? It worked. The whole school knows. It will no doubt be out there by now in the social media. Before you say that the video Mr Anderson's friend took will not be going viral, those that were taken on the mobile phones in the hall probably have by now. If what you say about your father is true, Mr Duval, he is going to find out very shortly that his son is gay." Nick could feel the colour draining from his cheeks, and was so glad when Jeff took his hand. "If there is one thing I pride myself on, it is that I teach all of the boys that come through the doors of this school that they have to be brave and take the difficult decisions. You have, Mr Duval, though you did take an undue amount of time. Most of the faculty expected this to happen long before now. After all, Mr Sterling has been in love with you since before young Mr Hummel arrived. I might be old, but I can still spot these things." Both Nick and Jeff were now staring at him in surprise. "The governors that were in the hall today were not best pleased at what they saw, but I have convinced them that if they make a fuss, it would bring our zero tolerance anti-bullying policy in to question. Expulsion on the grounds of kissing on stage would show a lack of tolerance on the part of the school for all our gay and bi pupils. So, I am placing you both on litter duty for the rest of your time here at Dalton. You can also assist with the clean up after the graduation ball. Finally, an invitation to your wedding, should it happen, would be appreciated…." With that, and a smile the Principal left the room.

Nick was more than relieved that things had gone so well. He had feared that his actions might have cost him and by association, Jeff, very dearly. "Did he really just ask us for an invitation to our wedding, Nick? After we basically made out like a pair of love sick animals in front of the entire school, all we have to do is pick up some litter and tidy up after the ball? We are so lucky…"

"I am the lucky one, Jeff. I realised that I loved you before it was too late, before I lost you forever. I don't know if I'm gay, or bi, or it's just you - all I know is that the very idea of being without you was unbearable. I never want to be without you. I am sorry for one thing though - not realising sooner. All that time we've wasted, all those chances to steal a kiss…"

Jeff smiled. "Yeah, Nicky, we have a lot of catching up to do…" before pulling him into another kiss. "But just now, we have to deal with the fallout - our parents. I suggest we start with the easy ones - mine.

The drive from Dalton to Jeff's house was short. As he sat in the passenger seat next to Nick, Jeff couldn't stop himself smiling. If he had known that threatening to go to college in California and hook up with a surfer was all it took to get Nick, he would have done it earlier. Not that it mattered - he thought again about the old saying that his mom often came out with - "Good things come to those that wait." It had been a long wait, but the good thing was finally here. There was just one thing he needed to tell Nick before they went to see his parents - it didn't really matter, but he felt that if their relationship was going to be a strong one, then there had to be honesty in all things from the start. As Nick drew up in front of Jeff's house, he placed a hand on his leg and stopped him from leaving the driving seat.

"Before we go in, there is something that I want to tell you Nicky. It doesn't really affect us, but I want you to know. The only other people that know about this apart from my family, are Wes and the senior staff at Dalton." Nick was looking at him with concern, and so he quickly continued. "I trust you and love you, and I know that you won't tell anybody what I am about to say." He paused and took a deep breath. "I'm adopted, Nick. My mom and dad took me in at the age of 6 after my biological parents abandoned me. I don't even remember much about my life before that, so I'm guessing that it was probably pretty unhappy. My parents have always been so accepting of who I am - their love seems to be pretty unconditional. When they found out about the steroids, they felt sorry for me and blamed themselves."

"Unlike mine, who screamed and raged about my gross stupidity - how I had ruined my life and potentially blackened the family name and reputation. I should have written addicted to steroids on my Harvard application - then all this trouble could have been avoided."

Jeff laughed. "True - but then would I have got my dramatic confession of love? I like things just the way they are. Now, my mom is staring at us through the lounge window and probably wondering why we are just sitting out here. Ready for face the parents mark one?" With a sigh, Nick nodded, and the two of them made their way inside.

Nick was given the usual warm greeting by the Sterlings - Jeff's dad was also at home having left work early. They were in the middle of having coffee in the lounge and they asked the boys to join them. It was the perfect opportunity. They sat down next to each other on the sofa, and the usual small talk was pursued. Then, with no warning, Mrs Sterling spoke. "So, Nick, have you told your parents yet about the fact that you and Jeff are together, or are we the first?" Nick nearly choked on the mouthful of coffee he had just swallowed, as Jeff just stared at his mom.

"My wife has always been very perceptive Nick; the fact that the two of you are sitting much closer together than normal is a giveaway of course - that and the fact that she saw Jeff's hand on your knee whilst the two of you were sat outside."

"We're telling you first, mom, dad, because I knew that you would be calm and rational about the whole thing. That you would accept it. You know Nick's dad, and how he is going to react - he doesn't like me - Nick, I know he doesn't - so his son coming home and telling him that he is a) Not going to Harvard as he demands; b) Is in love with his best friend and c) Showed this by kissing him on stage, during assembly, in front of the entire school isn't going to make him happy. Did I also mention that there will be video evidence of this on line?"

The two Sterlings sat quietly as they digested this, before Mr Sterling started to speak again. "What you are saying son is probably very true. Duval is not the most tolerant and warm of human beings. I have had dealings with him and….shall we just say I don't like him. Nick, if you love Jeff as much as I think you do, then my wife and I have absolutely no problem with your relationship. We couldn't ask for a better match for our boy. And that also means that we will love and protect you as much as we can when, not if, things turn bad. You will always be welcome in this house. I want you to remember that. If things get rough after you tell your folks, then come here. Simple as that." Nick nodded at him, fearing that he would probably need to come back here that night. "So, you kissed him in front of the whole school?" Mr Sterling had picked up his phone and was searching on Youtube. "Ok, Dalton gay kiss as a search…" Jeff was looking at his dad with a mix of amusement and horror. "Bingo." Jeff blushed red as his mom and dad watched the video - Nick had buried his face in Jeff's shoulder from embarrassment. "Well, that got a bit heated in the end," Jeff's father said, before starting to laugh.

Nick left the Sterlings house about half an hour later. The whole thing had gone so much better than he ever could have hoped. They had accepted the relationship without any questions, made him feel welcome and loved. He knew the reaction he was about to face would be nowhere near as warm. That was why he had forced Jeff to stay at home. He had just found the love of his life - there was no way he was taking him into the lion's den for a mauling.


	9. Ground Zero

**Ground Zero**

When Nick arrived home, he was pleased to find that the house was empty. He was pretty certain that his parents would have found out about events at Dalton. He was also sure that their reaction would be nowhere near as calm as the Sterlings - his father in particular would go apoplectic. He had begun to formulate a plan for the worst case scenario as he drove home - this was not quite there, but he knew too that his time could be limited and his luck could run out. He therefore dashed straight up to his room and grabbed his rucksack from the top of the wardrobe. He fired in his camera, laptop, gaming machines and cash, wrapping it up in socks and underwear. He also placed in the front pocket something equally precious to him - the friendship bracelet that Jeff had bought him in Chicago the summer before - he had never dared to wear it at home, but now he was determined to keep it safe.

The rucksack stowed carefully behind the front seat of his car, he returned upstairs to bundle his favourite clothes in a holdall, literally throwing them in, conscious that at any moment he could hear the sound of tyres on gravel announcing that his parents were home. His luck had stayed with him, and the second bag was also discretely stowed in the car. He placed his spare car key in a plant pot so that he could make a quick escape if necessary. Then he grabbed himself a sandwich before returning to await his fate in his room. In the end, he didn't have to wait that long - he heard the sound of a car tearing up the gravel, coming to a halt - from behind the curtains he watched as his mother and father got out of the car - the latter's face seething with rage.

The door opened and within seconds he heard exactly what he had expected. "NICHOLAS, GET DOWN HERE NOW!" He knew better than to stall, to pretend that he had been listening to music and hadn't heard. He took the steps two at a time and presented himself in the lounge, where his father sat alone in his usual chair. That also made Nick a little more frightened. His mother was the calming influence when things got heated. She had been so beneficial when the steroid scandal had broken in just keeping his father cool. He stood in silence and waited for his father to speak.

"So, can you imagine what my day has been like Nicholas? When I am sitting in my office and start to hear gasps and giggles from the staff? When I get a call from your mother, in tears, telling me that she has been hearing awful rumours at the beauty parlour? Then discovering that all those rumours are true, and there is a video, albeit a very amateur one, of my son KISSING that freakish blond friend of his. Not in a private place, but on stage, in front of the whole of Dalton Academy. This Nicholas is when you tell me that it is all a joke - a very sick, perverted, twisted joke, but a joke nonetheless….I'm waiting to hear that. Because if I hear that I may just manage not to be quite so cruel and vindictive in your punishment."

It would be so easy, Nick thought, to just say that it was a joke. Save himself. But he knew that if he did, he would never be allowed to go anywhere near Jeff ever again. He would probably be sent away to some business associate in Boston - the one that he had been told he could go to for help whilst he was at Harvard. That would be a betrayal of Jeff, and of himself. The real Nick Duval. He had allowed himself to be cowed by one bully this year - had not stood up to them until far too late. He was darned if he was going to do it again. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before beginning to speak.

"I'd love to tell you that it was a joke Dad. A large part of me thinks that I should do just that - but that would be a lie, and you made it quite clear to me earlier this year that Duval's do not lie. So, it wasn't a joke, Dad. I kissed Jeff, my best friend, because I am in love with him, and probably always have been. Just couldn't admit it because I knew exactly how you would react. For your information, he isn't a freak. He is the most loving, caring human being I know. He is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. The ironic thing is, I did not even realise that I felt that way towards him until you decided that I was going to Harvard regardless of my thoughts on the matter. My kissing the man I love is just the first step towards me taking control of my life. For too long you have told me what to do, what to say, even who I should be friends with. That is over. I'm not going to Harvard. You can cut me off if you like, because that does not matter, I have made other arrangements. I will be going to college, still to study Law, but to one of my choice. One where I can be with the person that I love and be happy." There was silence, and that was more chilling to Nick than anything else. His father was obviously considering what he had just said.

"So, Nicholas, you are telling me that suddenly, after years of being so certain you were heterosexual, and normal, one decision of mine has made you into a fag? My doing what is best for your future has made you homosexual? Well, let me tell you one thing right now - as long as you are under my roof you will obey my rules. I don't know where you think the alternative college money is coming from, but be assured, I will stop it. It won't be necessary. Once you are away from nefarious influences, you will return to sanity. My friend in Boston helps run a Christian youth service - he has set other people on the right path before now I am sure. We can see for ourselves tomorrow when I drive you there. You will not be returning to Dalton Academy - we can get your graduation papers without any ceremony. You will soon forget about this stupid crush on that boy. You won't be able to contact him anyway, and I will get an injunction put on him and the rest of your deviant friends to forbid them contacting you."

"If you think I am going to Boston with you tomorrow, you are mistaken. I am not just going to meekly submit to you anymore. You are as bad as Hunter Clarington - just a bully who can't accept that not everyone wants to be just like you - to lead your life. Maybe I am not gay, but I love Jeff. I need him and you are not going to split us up. I won't let…" Before Nick could finish his sentence, he felt his father's hand slap across his face - the shock of it was enough to knock him off his feet, falling backwards to bang his head on the corner of the coffee table.

"YOU DO NOT TALK BACK TO ME, NICHOLAS. I am your father and you will do as I tell you. You will go to your room now and you will stay there until I tell you otherwise. The front and back doors are locked and bolted. You were kind enough to leave your car keys in the usual spot at the door in any case. And whilst we have been talking, your mother has taken your cellphone. I suggest you get some sleep - we have a long drive in the morning. Well, what are you waiting for - bedroom NOW!"

Nick struggled to pull himself up - his head hurt were he had banged it. He wasn't moving fast enough for his father, who grabbed him roughly by the arm, twisting it in the process. Fresh pain shot through Nick as he did so. He didn't allow himself to show it though. He tried to hold his head up as he freed himself from his father's grip to walk out of the room, but the pain in his head caused him to stumble on the threshold and land heavily on his side. He got up far quicker this time, fearing what his father might do if he lingered too long. It seemed to take hours to climb the stairs, to stumble into his room. He collapsed on the bed, his head beginning to spin as he did so. The last thing he heard before passing out was the sound of the key turning in the lock on his bedroom door.

In his own bedroom at home, Jeff sat watching his phone. As the minutes turned into hours, he became increasingly worried for Nick. He had not promised he would call once his parents knew about their relationship, but it was so unlike him not to do so when he knew that Jeff would be worrying. There had been a flurry of other text messages that evening as the news spread far and wide, but the one name he needed to see did not appear. In the end, he sent a text to Nick, asking if he was ok. There was a terse response 'I will be'. That reply got Jeff even more worried, because Nick would never be that short with him. There was nothing he could do but wait. Eventually, he fell asleep tired out by the events of the day.

Nick came round again at just before one in the morning. His head ached, but it was far clearer. He was shocked to see a red stain on the bed clothes were his head had fallen. The house was in silence - no doubt his father had gone to bed early to prepare for the journey ahead. It was one Nick had no intention of making - he was legally an adult now and could do as he liked. He opened the bedroom window quietly, and climbed over the ledge, lowering himself until he was hanging on the sill by the tips of his fingers - the drop that left was no great distance, but it still jarred as he fell onto the grass below. His spare car key was still in the plant pot. The house was in darkness as he looked back at it, for what he was certain would be the last time. It would certainly never be home again if he could help it. Keeping the engine low and driving slowly so that the gravel would make as little noise as possible, he smiled. He was on his way to Jeff.

The sound of banging on the front door woke Jeff up, and woke his parents too. They were already downstairs by the time he got to the top of the stairs, and as they opened the door, they obscured his view. He heard his mom gasp, his dad curse under his breath as he ran down - then he saw for himself. It was his Nicky - blood caking his hair to one side of his head, a livid red mark across his face. "Things went as well as I expected Jeff. Had to wait until they were asleep to climb out of the house. Had the sense to make plans for escape. They took my phone - why I couldn't call you. My dad thinks he is taking me to Boston in the morning, to set me straight. I'm not going to let him, Jeff. I love you." He turned then to the Sterlings, who were still in shock at the sight before them. "Can I stay here tonight? I'm so tired. I'll find somewhere else tomorrow."

There would of course never have been a possibility that Jeff's parents would have refused him. He was taken in at once; his cut head looked at by Mrs Sterling, food and drink presented to him. All the time, Jeff sat by his side, holding his hand. He realised that by accepting that he loved him, Nick had been forced to give up everything else in his life. He had been hurt physically, and things were only just starting. There would be hell to pay when Mr Duval found him gone in the morning. After eating, Nick was sent for a shower, and then the two boys were packed off to bed. For the first time, they climbed under the sheets next to each other. Every other time that Nick had stayed over that year, they had curled up together fully clothed on top of the bed. Now they lay together, skin to skin, face to face. Nick smiled at Jeff, then leaned forward and kissed him. "Goodnight Jeff - I love you." "Love you too Nicky." Happy in each others arms, the two boys drifted off into a deep sleep.


	10. Family tensions

**Family tensions**

Nick woke up the following morning and was initially confused as to where exactly he was. Then it all came flooding back to him - everything that had happened to him the previous day. He was still amazed at how quickly an ordinary day at school could turn around. How quickly his entire life had been turned upside down, all because of a few seconds in which he admitted his feelings at last. That was one thing he did not regret, letting Jeff know exactly how he felt. That kiss had felt so right, had made him so happy for the first time in months; since before Hunter and everything that had come along with him. In fact, aside from his father's reaction and the subsequent events, everything since had been more than alright.

"You're awake then Nicky," came a voice. "I didn't want to leave you alone in bed, but mom said that I had to give you peace to sleep and not wake you. But it's nearly 11 o'clock now, and you must be hungry. So I've brought you some breakfast." Nick sat up and opened his eyes - Jeff was standing there with a plate with some toast and a mug, which by the smell of things contained coffee. "Also, you really do need to get up because I've convened a council of war. It's only a matter of time before your dad turns up here looking for you, and my parents and I have decided on strength in numbers. So we might have made a few phone calls between us and people will be getting here in about an hour. So, eat your toast, drink your coffee and then we will get you looking presentable - but battered…"

Nick did as he was told, as his boyfriend (it still seemed so strange to refer to Jeff as that, but he was) fussed over him. They sorted out clothes for Nick to wear after he had taken a quick shower. Jeff had offered to leave the room whilst he changed, but he had told him not to bother - they had shared the locker room at Dalton often enough, and soon they would be seeing a lot more of each other anyway. Jeff had blushed, but at the same time smiled broadly. They had then made their way downstairs, where Mrs Sterling had fussed over him, checking his head over to make sure that the cut was clean. Then there was a knock at the door.

The first two people to arrive were Trent and Sebastian - on seeing Nick, the former burst into tears, whereas Sebastian just looked so angry, muttering darkly about making Nick's father pay. He had Jeff on side for that, and once Trent had been reassured that Nick was not seriously hurt, he calmed down and sat listening to the conversation. The next to arrive was Blaine, with Sam Evans. "We need numbers, and Sam is a) a good guy and b) pretty handy with his fists if necessary." Nick looked startled at that statement, but he appreciated it nonetheless. Finally, the door sounded again, and this time Burt and Carole appeared.

"Blaine's idea," Jeff whispered to Nick. "We all know that he is the best when it comes to rights - on top of that, he's a Congressman and no matter how angry he is, your dad wouldn't risk attacking anyone whilst he is here. Carole is a nurse so no doubt she'll be here to check your head." Jeff was proven right the minute that she walked in. Burt stood on the threshold, shaking his head and talking to the Sterlings. Nick felt slightly guilty at all the attention he was getting. He looked up to see Trent answering yet another text on his phone. "He might have sent a text to Wes to say that your dad had hit you," said Jeff. "And it has snowballed. I think everybody that we know in the Warblers knows now. I think we could beat your dad hands down." As Nick smiled, not knowing whether to be glad or upset that everyone knew, he heard the screech of car brakes outside. He knew without looking that his father had arrived.

The conversation in the room stopped as they heard footsteps making there way towards the front door. Instinctively, Jeff and Trent sat either side of Nick - Blaine, Sam and Sebastian formed a wall in front of him, and Carole and Jeff's mom stood next to them. There was a thunderous knocking on the door, and then a voice yelling. "NICHOLAS! I know that you are in there. You have one minute to get yourself out here, or I will be calling the sheriff to let him know that you have been abducted by your friend and his parents. You know who he will believe. Just get out here, and get in the car. You're sick and we need to get you treated. I'm warning you, if you care about that freak as much as you claim, then you don't want to get him mixed up with the cops."

It was the word freak that did it. It took all of Carole's powers of persuasion to stop four boys rushing to the door to open it and deal with him. Nick was crying and Jeff was blinking back his own tears as he tried to comfort him. Meanwhile, Mr Sterling and Burt had gone to the door, the latter keeping out of sight as the former opened the door keeping the security chain on. In the lounge, they couldn't hear what was being said by Jeff's dad, but they could all quite clearly hear Nick's dad shouting at him to give him his son back. Finally came a shout of "Just because you are happy that your own son is a freak, it does not give you the right to poison my boy. It's child abuse and I won't stand for it."

"And so is slapping your son so hard that he loses his balance and gashes his head on a table." Burt's voice echoed through the whole house as he suddenly appeared and shouted back as loud as Mr Duval. "I'm sure that the sheriff would be delighted to hear how you injured your boy last night; would love to see his bruises. As for who he would believe, I think you might find he believes the evidence of his eyes, your boy and me. I suggest you go home, cool off and think about what you are doing. He is your son - if he isn't what you expected then that is tough, because we don't get to choose for them. Carry on the way you are, and he will never forgive you."

There was a moment's silence, and then as clear as day, they all heard Mr Duval. "I don't really care. If he wants to stay here, fine. Just let him know that as far as I am concerned,I don't have a son anymore. He is nothing to me. He can do what he wants, because I don't give a damn."

There was a stunned silence in the Sterlings lounge, punctuated only by the sobs coming from Nick. Jeff and Trent were both crying too. As they heard the sound of a car tearing away, Nick suddenly stopped, and took a breath. "I guess that's it then. He isn't going to come round. I guess I always knew that admitting the truth about myself would cause trouble. But I wouldn't change anything. I am happier right now than I have been for a very long time. I don't have to hide my real self anymore and that's such a relief. If I have lost my family, then… as long as I have you, Jeffie, I don't need anyone else."

"You've got me Nicky, because I am going nowhere, and I'm sure that we have everyone here too. Your dad is an idiot, because he's just thrown away the most talented, beautiful person in the world." With that, he leaned in to kiss him, gaining an awww from his friends, and from Carole. She couldn't help but notice that Mrs Sterling was not so pleased…

Everyone stayed for lunch, and a list of priorities was drawn up, much of the input coming from Burt. Firstly, they had to ensure that Nick was safe - for that, they needed to find him somewhere to stay on a more permanent basis. Jeff's room was ok for a couple of nights, but not forever. "I guess I could ask my grandparents if I could move in there. They don't like my dad, and they've always said they will love me whatever I do."

"Sounds to me kiddo like your grandparents might have known this day would come with words like that. They know how close you are to Jeff?" Nick nodded at Burt's question, and suddenly it dawned on him - maybe his grandmother at least had an inkling that he wasn't as straight as he made out to be.

Secondly, they had to find some way of getting into the Duval house to get the rest of Nick's belongings. "Easier said than done, given that my dad took my keys away. My mom won't let me in either, and the only other person with a key is my sister, but she lives in Denver these days. I might just have to resign myself to having the two cases of stuff. I have the most important things…" The final question was what to do about Nick's injuries. He was adamant that he didn't want to go to hospital, as that could lead to the police and trouble. In the end, Carole dealt with things as best as she could, not for the first time. She also had a quick word with Jeff's mom in private and confirmed what she had thought - they had no problem with Jeff being gay, or with Nick as his boyfriend. Just not under our roof, and take it slowly please, so nobody will get hurt. Carole knew teenage boys only too well - the latter might not be achievable.

It was later that day, after everyone had left, and Jeff's parents had gone out shopping, that there came another insistent knock on the door. Nick was immediately worried that his father had returned, or sent the cops. Jeff had every reason to worry about the same things, but decided that it was better to answer the door and know what they were dealing with. He ensured that the chain was on first, then opened the door. On the threshold stood a young woman, with dark hair and the same colour of eyes as Nick. "Hi, I'm looking for Nick. I'm guessing that you are Jeff?" He looked at her, a bit startled that she knew so much - a plain clothes police officer was his first thought. Nick stood just round the corner, trembling. The voice however had seemed slightly familiar. "Sorry, I should introduce myself, as you've probably had a bad enough day already without me stressing you out. I'm Grace…"

Before she could even finish the sentence, Nick was running to the door. He took a look through the gap, then shut it to wrench the security chain off. He flung it open again and jumped out to embrace the woman on the doorstep. She returned it at once, all the while with a look of shock on her face at the state of Nick's head. Jeff was still completely confused by the turn of events. "As I was saying, I'm Grace Duval, this idiot's sister. It is a pleasure to meet my brother's first boyfriend, Jeff. Unlike my parents, I think that it's fantastic. So, does your potential future sister-in-law get a hug?" That was how Jeff's parents found them moments later when they turned into the driveway - the two boys wrapped in the arms of Nick's sister.


	11. Supported

**Supported**

After the necessary introductions were made, Grace was invited into the Sterling house for a coffee and a chat. She quickly explained what had happened. "I got a call from Dad last night, early evening, to tell me to book a flight home today, as he needed me to accompany him and mom to church tomorrow morning. I was startled and asked him why. He told me that you had been seduced into a life of sin, and we had to come together to pray for your soul. When I asked what he meant he told me it was none of my business, just that you had disgraced the family name in public that morning, and we needed to present a united front. He told me to charge the flight to his credit card, then hung up. I was curious, so I checked Facebook. Not yours, but Trent's. There was a link to the best video I have seen in a while. I knew then that I needed to come home to see you - I guessed where you would be, thankfully remembered the address and then lied to dad about when my flight would arrive. I have another two hours before he will expect me. So, what exactly happened?"

Nick quickly explained everything, from the moments after the kiss to the dramatic scene at lunchtime. The actions of her father made Grace so angry, that she almost refused to go home - until that was Jeff suggested that she should be their Trojan Horse. Everyone looked at him with curiosity at first, until he explained what he meant - then it was a widely welcomed suggestion. It was such an audacious plan that it might just work. Having agreed to go with it, there was just time for Grace to sit with Nick as he called their grandmother. The conversation was brief and to the point but confirmed his suspicions - she had always been expecting the day to come when he came out. She had seen how his face lit up at the mention of the word Jeff; witnessed first hand his determination to be with him, no matter what. She was just shocked that it had taken him so long - she had nearly lost the bet she had placed with her husband that Nick and Jeff would be a couple before they left school. At that last comment, Nick and Grace looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

Grace had to leave before their father smelt a rat, but their grandmother swiftly agreed to Nick coming to live with them short term. "I will never stop loving you, whether you turn out to be gay, bi or straight. You are a wonderful young man, and although I have yet to meet Jeff, he must be every bit as nice for you to want him so much. Bring him over tomorrow when you move in - you'll need a hand unpacking no doubt. No arguments - in fact, bring as many of your friends as you like…" As his sister drove off back to their parents house, he felt so much lighter in his heart. He was not losing his entire family after all.

His joy increased when to his shock, the Sterlings phone rang with a call for him. It was his Aunt Helen, who had heard about everything from her brother. He had called her in an angry state, demanding to know if her son had helped to pollute Nick's mind. She had informed her brother that he was a darn fool, and that as far as she was concerned, she wanted nothing more to do with him. She had angrily slammed down the phone and had begun to worry about her nephew. In desperation she had called Jeff's uncle, to ask for his brother's phone number, in the hope that Nick would be there. She was in luck, and her call was to tell him that she loved him. That he would be welcome in Chicago anytime and if he wanted to bring his boyfriend with him, so much the better. It would save him having to go back and forward to Alan's house.

That night, Nick found himself alone in Jeff's bedroom. His parents had been quite insistent that last night was a one off, given the circumstances. Now that the nature of the boys' relationship had changed, they felt more comfortable if they slept apart. Jeff had been mortified that his parents would even suggest that he would be having sex with Nick when they had only just got together - there would be more than enough time for that side of the relationship to develop. It would be one of mutual exploration as they decided what they were comfortable with. Nick on the other hand could clearly see their point and did not want to destroy the relationship that Jeff had with his mom and dad as his own had been. He had offered to sleep on the sofa, but Jeff had almost at once said no, if anyone was going to sleep there, it was him. It felt strange sleeping alone that night - he missed the warmth of his boyfriend. Funny how one night could make the habits of a lifetime odd.

The next morning Operation GettheStuff began early. Trent, Sam, Blaine, Jeff and Nick were in place close to the Duval house an hour before the church service would begin. Sebastian was parked with sight of the church, so that they could confirm that his parents had actually entered. About 20 minutes before the start, Mr and Mrs Duval, along with Grace, drove away from the house; the latter had sent a text to Jeff's phone seconds earlier to say that they were leaving. The drive took 10 minutes, and 5 minutes later Sebastian sent a group text to say that they had entered and the operation was go. Moments later, three cars converged on the driveway of the Duval's home. It no longer felt like that to Nick. Instead, he felt like he had returned to the scene of a crime. In some ways, he had.

Jeff had suggested that Grace leave her door key in the same plant pot that Nick had left his car key in on Friday night. That way, they could gain access to the house legitimately. She had done so, and in no time the 5 boys were in Nick's room, collecting up books, clothes and pictures in bags and boxes, before taking them out to the waiting cars. In no time at all, the room was bare. Nick had asked Jeff to help him up into the attic, and had found what he was searching for in no time - his old teddy bear, battered with years of love. By the time they returned downstairs, the others were already outside. Jeff had made the suggestion that they leave a window open so that after locking the front door, someone could climb back in, place Grace's key in her room, and then leave, ensuring that no-one could blame her. They would just assume that Nick had had a spare cut at some point.

In the end, it was Blaine that climbed through the open study window, ran up the stairs to deposit the key, then ran back down to climb out. As he did so he noticed something lying in Nick's father in tray on his desk. With a smile he grabbed it, shoving it in his pocket, before climbing back out. Sam pulled the window back down and with a satisfying click the catch locked into place. They made their way back to Blaine's car and drove off, following the other to Nick's grandmothers - and not a moment to soon, as they all received a text from Sebastian saying that church had ended, and the Duval's were on their way home.

By the time they reached Nick's grandparents, Sebastian having joined the convoy part way there, things had already begun to kick off. Mr Duval had, on arriving home from church, had gone into his study and immediately spotted what was missing. When he went upstairs to Nick's room seconds later and discovered it stripped off any sign of his son, he was furious. He suspected Grace at once, but she reminded him that he had been the one to unlock the door, as she couldn't find her key - she must have left it in her room. Sure enough, when he went to check, her key was lying on the dressing table. That was when Nick's mother made the discovery that the kitchen door wasn't locked - in her hurry to leave for church that morning, she hadn't checked it. As her parents started to argue, Grace left the room and quickly sent a text to Jeff, letting him know what was going on. "I almost feel sorry for your mom, Nick. She is going to get the blame for everything now. There is only one thing I am curious about - what did we take from your father's study?"

"I have no idea. We didn't go in there, nor did Trent. But that was the room where we opened the window so that Blaine could get in and out. It must have been him. Text him and ask."

Jeff quickly fired off a message and waited. His phone buzzed and he pulled up the message - and just laughed. "The message is 'Does this answer your question?' I thought it was rather cryptic until I really looked at it." He turned the phone to face Nick. He looked at the screen confused until he suddenly spotted who the text was from - Nicky.

"He got my phone back! Tell him I will love him forever, just not as much as I love you, because I don't want you and Kurt getting jealous." His world was coming back together.

If his grandmother was shocked when the four cars arrived and six boys appeared, she didn't show it. She opened the door and pulled Nick into a hug, crying when she saw his cut head. He remembered his manners after a few moments, and began to make introductions, starting with his friends and finally, introducing her to his boyfriend. His grandfather had joined them by that time, and like his wife before him, gave Nick a hug, as Jeff was being hugged by his wife. Introductions over, they began to bring all the bags and boxes from the cars into the house, carrying them upstairs to the guest bedroom. They decided not to unpack straight away, mainly because Nick's grandmother had prepared a large lunch, which all of them stayed for.

They were about halfway through their meal when there was a knock at the door. It was Grace, who had decided to decamp as her parents arguing carried on. She joined them in the meal. Once the meal was over, and the boys had cleared the table and washed up, Nick's friends made their excuses and left, leaving only Jeff and Grace. His grandfather took that as an opportunity to have a discussion about the long term. He knew that Nick would be off to college soon - but he was welcome to stay with them for as long as he wanted. He couldn't guarantee that there wouldn't be trouble when his father found out where he was - in fact he half expected it. Jeff was also welcome at any time, as long as they respected the rules. There was a moment of silence before he informed them that his only rule was that they had to be decent in the house, except in Nick's room, where as long as they were quiet, they could do what they liked.

Jeff and Nick were startled at that to say the least. "I was young once, too. When you find the person that you love, you want to express that. I could tell you not to rush things, not to do certain things in the house - but I'd rather you did them here than in the back of a car on lover's lane where it might be unsafe. Times have changed a lot since I was your age, boys, but there is still a lot of homophobia out there. I want you to be safe, in every way. I'm going to the drugstore to pick up a couple of things later so I'll pick you up some things. You might not want to use them yet, but they'll be there for when you do." By this point, Jeff was staring at the pattern on the carpet, Grace was suppressing her laughter and Nick was bright red.

Then it was Nick's grandmother's turn to speak. "I also wanted to raise something with you. The last year had been traumatic for both of you, in many ways, what with that business in the Warblers, Jeff's illness and now this. I just wondered if you had considered taking a year out before college - deferring your admission to next year would give you a change to recuperate, and more importantly, allow you to get to know each other better. Maybe you should think about it."

Nick turned to Jeff. Getting to know each other better sounded like it might be fun. A year of freedom before college like heaven. From the look in his eyes, it seemed like Jeff might well be in agreement on the subject…


	12. Farewell Dalton

**Farewell Dalton**

Monday morning found Nick and Jeff back in the halls of Dalton Academy. Things were different from the moment that they stepped out of Nick's car - the fact that they had arrived together was not so unusual, but the stares of some of their classmates were not common. They were not entirely sure whether they were due to the events of Friday at assembly, or down to the bruise that still decorated one side of Nick's face. Whatever the reason, it gave them courage and they walked into school arm in arm, in clear defiance of the rules on PDA. More than one boy shouted "Morning Niff" as they walked by, each one making them smile all the more. At the front door they were joined by Trent and Sebastian, who proceeded the through the door, and straight into the path of Principal Carmichael. "Good Morning boys - Sebastian, Trent, Niff.." he said as he walked past, leaving them all staring for a moment before they burst out laughing.

That week at Dalton was more about bringing everything to a satisfactory conclusion than to learning anything new. As Seniors, the four friends found that they had a lot of free time on their hands. It also gave Nick and Jeff plenty of time to sit in the Senior Commons and discuss the suggestion that Nick's grandmother had made on Sunday afternoon. "There is a part of me, Jeff, that just wants to get away from Ohio, from my parents, from all the events of this year. I can see the two of us strolling in Central Park, walking past the theatres on Broadway, sharing meals out with Kurt and Blaine - and I think that we could be very happy. But there is another part of me that thinks that a year of just the two of us, getting to know each other, getting comfortable with everything.."

"I know what you are saying, Nicky. This year has just been one thing after another. We have been through more in the last 9 months than most people go through in a lifetime. There has been pain, misery, heartache all one after the other, both for us directly and for our friends. Blaine and Kurt breaking up; Finn dying; the way we all suffered under Hunter…. I think that we should take some time just to learn how to laugh again, to have some fun, get back to the old Nick and Jeff, the two sunny boys of the Warblers. If we do take a year out, I agree we need to get away from here; put some distance between us and our troubles. I've had an idea about that, and where we could go. Of course, we need to have somewhere to live where it will just be us - no parents or roommates. I have a lot of things I want to try with you Nicky.."

"And I'm presuming that a lot of them are indoor activities?" said Nick with a smirk that left Jeff blushing. "Don't be embarrassed Jeffie. I want to try them too. It scares me sometimes because the whole idea is so unfamiliar to me. But I want to learn, and I want you to teach me - just now, how about we practice kissing again?" With that he surged forward and captured Jeff's lips with his. About five minutes later, Trent wandered in, swiftly turned on his heel, and then knocked on the door. He heard the frantic sounds of clothes being tidied, of two boys making themselves presentable again. As he waited, Sebastian appeared, quirked an eyebrow then smirked. A shout of "Come in" came from the room, and the two entered and just smiled at their two red faced friends.

"Darn, but stubble burn can be a bitch," said Sebastian. "Leaves your lips all red when you've been kissing. That will have to wait - we need to sort out the details of the Warbler post graduation party. We need to chose some songs to perform for the alumni. I have invited Blaine to perform with us - he graduates from McKinley this week too, and I think we would all agree that he should be part of this?" There were nods of agreement from the other three boys. Tentative suggestions were made for a few group numbers. Jeff was however choosing a song for himself to sing to Nick. He just needed backing from the others to perform it.

The remainder of the week passed by in a blur. Now that the novelty of Nick and Jeff being a couple had passed, they could walk around the school without anyone even batting an eyelid. If they disappeared for any length of time, those closest to them knew that they would be in a quiet corner somewhere 'practising' - and not for any of the songs they had chosen to sing at the party on Saturday. What none of them knew was that they had crossed a major bridge on Wednesday afternoon when alone in Nick's new bedroom, they had got so engrossed in kissing that they had failed to notice that they were also grinding - and the inevitable happened. It was a mess, but a good one.

Then it was the last afternoon of school - the end of the chapter of their lives called Dalton. They stood in line at the side of the stage, Nick far ahead of Jeff, but making puppy dog eyes at each other. "If you two don't stop," Sebastian whispered from his spot right in front of Jeff, "then I will have to vomit. I know you have to make up for nearly three years of stupidity, but can we just stop for a few minutes, please?" They did, but only because the name Nicholas Duval was called out by the Principal, and he had to collect his diploma. In the audience, his grandparents sat next to Jeff's parents, his mother and father absent to nobody's surprise. The ceremony was followed by the official graduation party, where they behaved themselves for the sake of their families and remained very chaste. The same could not be said whilst they were cleaning up afterwards.

The unofficial party on Saturday was far more fun. It was held in the exact same location, the refectory at Dalton, but this time there were no staff to be seen. The person that was theoretically in charge was the deputy Principal, but she trusted the boys enough to leave them to get on with things. In any case, Wes was on the premises, and that was usually a guarantee that the correct standards of behaviour would be adhered to. His arrival had been greeted warmly by Trent; slightly feared at first by Sebastian, who thought he might be in line for a severe reprimand, but all he got instead was a hug. They were not who Wes wanted to see. He wanted his Niff. He had known back in their sophomore year that Jeff was hopelessly in love with the very straight Nick. He had feared the worst. He had never expected that they would end up together. It had cost him money, but he could not be happier for them. When he finally caught up with them, he pulled them both into a hug, which the two boys eagerly reciprocated.

The same scene was repeated several times in the next few hours, as the alumni returned to celebrate with their friends. David and Thad arrived from L.A. together and ignored even Wes to get to the two boys. Beats and Flint appeared next, and with a simultaneous scream of "Niff!" dove onto them as they sat near the door, talking to Trent. The latter was heard to remark later that if he didn't like the two of them so much, he would be very upset at all the attention that was being lavished on them. They were still talking to them, listening intently to their news about being accepted for an expedition of college students to Antarctica when the door opened again to reveal Kurt, arm in arm with Blaine. Nick and Jeff excused themselves from the others and ran over to the door. Greetings of "Klaine!" and "Niff!" were exchanged before there were warm hugs all round. That was when they heard a cough from the still open door. "I brought a few special guests," said Blaine, and motioned for the bulk of the New Directions to enter. The Warblers had all heard about their group being disbanded after they had lost at Nationals, and felt only sympathy for them. All the animosity of the past was forgotten, at least for that night.

The night that followed would be remembered as one of the best post-graduation parties the Warblers had ever held. Everyone there loved to sing - and there was a lot of that. This time, they even had someone to capture it all professionally on camera in the shape of Artie. The events of the previous year were largely unrecorded, apart from one slightly dodgy video of Wes, backed by the previous years senior graduates singing _Hit me baby, one more time _by Britney Spears. This was eventually played to the amusement of the New Directions. Of course, everyone had already seen what Santana called the X-Rated Warblergate film. Naturally, they saw it again, but this time projected onto the wall. To be obliging, Nick and Jeff repeated the kiss, just not the events afterwards. Then it was time for the Warblers to perform.

Nick was told to sit in the audience whilst Jeff sang to him. It was a song that he had prepared before the events of the last two weeks had taken place. As he began to sing _Everybody knows_ by the Divine Comedy, Nick began to smile. He wondered how he would have reacted if they had got to this night without his realisation. Would this song have been enough, or would he have run from the room? It was an unnecessary question now, and he just sat and laughed as, when Jeff sang the line about driving all his friends round the bend by constantly telling them that he loved him, his backing singers, Trent, Sebastian, Kurt and Blaine, all mimicked killing themselves. He turned round to find that all the other Warblers were also playing dead in the rows behind him, as the New Directions laughed as loud as he did. He was so lucky. Lucky to have good friends, supportive family members and the loveliest guy in the world as a boyfriend. And when Jeff finished, he dashed over to him to deliver him yet another draw dropping kiss.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur - there were songs from everyone, from the comic to the romantic. The climax of the evening was the group performance from the senior Warblers, joined by Blaine and Sam, of _YMCA._ The look on the face of Wes as the first chords of the intro sounded out was priceless, but he had to admit later that given that the senior group was now confirmed as 100% gay, he should have expected it, and they had performed it really well. They had gone as far as dressing up in full costume - Sam as a sailor, Blaine as a police officer (a costume which had Kurt mesmerised), Trent as the construction worker, Sebastian clad fully in leather, and as for Nick and Jeff, they were a red Indian and a cowboy respectively. Artie captured every moment on film, including Santana and Quinn looking at each other and saying "Wanky" simultaneously, and Puck passing his hand over Kurt's eyes repeatedly and getting no response, as Blaine rolled his hips.

When the party ended, the four senior Warblers stayed back to clean up, not that there was much to do. It had not been as nearly as wild a party as in previous years. In the end, the four of them came to sit on the edge of the stage, arms around each other, staring out at the now deserted room. "Well," said Trent, "that's it. No more Dalton. Onwards to college, eventually. I'm going to miss this place. Ok, the last year was rough, but this has been home. You guys, have been a big part of that. We all need to promise to keep in touch…"

"Of course," said Sebastian. "Honestly, I don't know how I would have got through this year without you three. I'm going to be far away, but we need to skype, regularly so we can catch up - and watch Niff here get their mack on…."

Trent laughed. "It's a deal," said Nick. "Apart from the last bit. Some of us have standards." With one last shared hug, the four boys got up, switched off the lights and walked out of the doors of Dalton, as students, for the final time.


	13. Leaving Ohio

**Leaving Ohio**

A week after leaving Dalton, Nick and Jeff said goodbye to Ohio. Jeff's idea as to where they could go for their gap year had paid off. He knew that his Uncle Alan in Chicago had been employing a college student to work in his coffee shop, and that the guy in question had been due to graduate that year. A quick telephone call had confirmed that this was the case, and that as a result, his uncle was short of staff. Jeff had worked for him before, and knew his way around a coffee machine. He was sure that Nick could be taught the basics quickly and his polite, easy going manner would be a hit with his uncle's customers. And two was always better than one… His uncle had just laughed and told them they could have a job. So it was that less than a fortnight after moving into his grandparents spare room, Nick Duval was packing his bags again, only this time in a far more organised fashion. The real plus with the job was that it came with a bonus - a two room apartment above the coffee shop.

They said their goodbyes in the driveway of his grandparents house. The only one of their friends that wasn't leaving in days was Trent; Sebastian was flying off to London in three days, and Blaine and Kurt had stopped off on their way to New York, Blaine's life packed in the back of the car that Kurt had hired. Wes, Thad and David were still in town, and had come along to wish them well. There were hugs, tears and a lot of fooling around. Jeff had already said goodbye to his parents - Nick had already done all of his family goodbyes inside, but that didn't stop his grandmother running out of the house with boxes of cookies for them all to take - and for one last hug. "You will always have a home here, Nick. That room will be yours now, and no-one will change that," she said as she held him close, then loosened her grip to pull Jeff in too.

They shared the driving and arrived in Chicago earlier than they had expected. They collected the keys from the Jeff's uncle and then went to stand at the door of their new home. "I still can't really believe that this is happening," said Jeff. "Three weeks ago, you were still my straight best friend, my future college roommate. Now, you're my boyfriend and we are moving into our first apartment together."

Nick laughed. "Yep, a whole lot has changed. But whatever life throws at us from now on, there is one thing that will never change. My feelings for you. This is going to be our first home together, but it won't be the last. I am never leaving you. You are mine, and I am yours. Forever. The only thing I'm not going to do is carry you over the threshold. At least, not until we are married…"

Jeff's face at that was priceless. Nick smiled happily. He was as shocked as Jeff that he had just said that. Yes, he thought, one day I want to marry you. Let the world know just how much I love you.

The apartment was small, but that didn't matter to them. There was a tiny bedroom, barely big enough to hold the queen sized bed, and a lounge with a kitchen area. The décor was slightly dated, and it had a slight aroma of coffee pervading it from the shop below. The bathroom was a surprise - given the size of the rest of the place, they had expected to find a tiny shower cubicle, but instead got a claw footed bath with a shower over. The main thing was that every inch of the space was theirs and theirs alone. No parents to come and disturb them in the middle of anything. Admittedly, also no-one to clean up after them, and after the first week of living together, they had to admit that they needed a cleaning rota or nothing would get done. Nick had quickly picked up the art of the barista, and Jeff had been slightly miffed when his uncle had turned round and said that he was better than him. His anger had evaporated in seconds - he was far too proud of his beautiful boyfriend to remain annoyed for long.

It wasn't just the art of the barista that Jeff was training Nick in. Every night after the shop was closed, and after they had eaten something, they would retire to bed and practice. The nightclothes of home had been abandoned from the very first night and they had taken time to learn each other's body. They had seen glimpses of them before, but they couldn't exactly get hands on in the locker room at Dalton. There was always something new to learn, another thing to explore. Sometimes, Nick shocked Jeff with just how quickly he was willing to go. There were many firsts in those early weeks - and by early August they had gone so far as to establish that whilst Nick preferred to top, he was just as happy being the bottom every so often. As Jeff was the exact opposite, they were both happy.

Life in Chicago was suiting them. They had support from Jeff's Uncle Alan, Nick's Aunt Helen and his cousin Callum - the latter took them to a few bars with the help of the fake ID that Sebastian had made for them when he dragged them to Scandals so long ago. Thinking back to that night, Nick realised that even back then, when he had dragged Jeff away from the guy that wouldn't say no, it wasn't just the need to protect his friend that was at play - he had been jealous. Even then, his soul had known that Jeff was the one - it was just his mind, filled with the prejudice of his father, that had held him back. He never thought of his parents now. He kept in touch with his grandparents and with Grace, but his mom and dad he didn't spare a thought for.

Through Kurt and Blaine, they also had another person in Chicago to hang out with. Although his hectic schedule at school kept him busy, Mike Chang always seemed to be able to make time for them when they needed to get away from family. He introduced them to a few of his friends, and one night, when they might all have had a little to drink, he promised to teach them a few dance moves. In the sober light of morning, both boys were still keen, and so once a week at least, Mike would come over and tutor them in a few steps. Both of them loved to dance, but being able to do it properly and together was a plus. When Mike suggested they might try something different one time, they had agreed, and that was how they started to tap.

They also kept their promise to stay in touch with the guys. They talked to Sebastian at least once a week, and one night, to wind him up, they had answered his Skype call shirtless and with ruffled hair. His face was priceless, before he said "Did I interrupt something?" with his trademark smirk. Trent they talked to almost every day, and he came to stay with them for a few nights, where he pointedly produced ear plugs before he settled down on the couch to sleep. That was early August, and he was there when they found out. The chat with Kurt and Blaine on Skype had been planned for a while but in the last few weeks they had sensed that something was going on in New York that they were not aware of. They switched on the camera that night expecting just the usual catch up. The smiles on their faces when they saw Trent sitting with Nick and Jeff were huge. The three boys in Chicago looked at each other, then back at their two friends in New York.

"Guys, we need the three of you to clear your diaries for the 20th and 21st of September.." said Blaine. "We want you to come to New York to see us."

"I'll be in Washington by then," said Trent, "so it shouldn't be a problem…"

"If we ask I'm sure we could get that weekend off," said Jeff, "and it would be nice to see you guys. So yeah, count us in."

"Why?" said Nick. "What's so important about those two days?"

Blaine turned to Kurt, who looked as if he was about to burst. "Together?" Kurt nodded, they counted sown from three, and shouted together "We're getting married!"

To say that Nick and Jeff were happy for their friends was a given - but they were still shocked at how quickly things had taken place. They had been aware of the situation in New York - Nick had come upstairs one evening to find Jeff in tears, having just read the news of the ban on the internet - but it was still so fast. Needless to say, it would have taken the apocalypse to keep them from being in New York that weekend to help celebrate the 'official unification of Klaine', as Jeff put it. They spoke to Jeff's uncle and easily secured the time off - he told them to take the entire weekend and see some of the sights of the big apple before they went to Columbia. To their surprise, he offered to pay for them to travel to the wedding - on the train. "Sure it takes longer than a flight, but I've booked you a private sleeper cabin…" he had said, giving them a wink at the same time. Not to be outdone, Nick's aunt had paid for their hotel room. The hotel in question was the same one that Trent was to be staying in - and as it turned out, Wes, Thad and David would be staying there too. Nick felt sorry for the hotel staff that had to clean up after six Warblers…

The day before they left for the wedding, Nick had some free time and headed into the centre of Chicago, finding himself on North Michigan Avenue. He was busy thinking about the commitment that his two friends were about to make; about how happy they had both been the day that they had become an engaged couple at Dalton. He almost bumped into someone hurrying the other way - and found himself standing outside a jewellers. With a display of engagement rings featured in the window. He imagined the look of delight on Jeff's face if he got down on one knee… He was lucky in that he and Jeff had identically sized hands. He was able to chose a ring and try it on his own finger and know that it would fit. He went home that night with a feeling of satisfaction that he had never known before. He had done the right thing - now he just needed to find the right moment. He didn't want to upstage Kurt and Blaine on their big day, but if he could find a moment then it would be perfect with all of their friends being there to witness it.

The ring burnt a hole in Nick's pocket from that moment onwards. As he watched Jeff talking to Kurt in an animated fashion in the Spotlight Diner on the night before the wedding, he knew he had made the right decision. He loved Jeff so much, and he wanted the world to know. "Penny for your thoughts" said a voice - and he turned to find Wes standing behind him. "Just thinking how happy Kurt and Blaine look tonight and wondering how happy Jeff will be when I propose to him," he replied. Wes just smiled and with a grin, said "No doubt as happy as those two." Nick looked around the room at all the happy faces - well apart from Brittany, who for some reason looked so sad. Tonight wasn't the right time to make his proposal, but after the wedding tomorrow - that was the time. He would propose tomorrow….


	14. Niff without Klaine

**Niff without Klaine**

"I don't know if this is a good idea, Nicky. He is in a fragile state and seeing the two of us together just might make him worse. I couldn't imagine what it must be like to lose the love of your life - well, I could, but I don't want to…"

Nick knew exactly how Jeff felt as they stood in the hospital corridor. Only two days earlier they had been in another almost identical corridor, and had found out that Kurt had died. How long they had stood with their arms around each other, huddled around Wes with Trent, Thad and David, they did not know. When your heart is breaking, you do not measure time. Then there had been that scream, and they had had to catch Wes as he slumped to the floor. He had always been their rock, the one stable thing around which the Warblers circulated. To see him shatter had been frightening. Now the priority was Blaine, confined to a hospital bed. When they had heard that Cooper needed people to give him a break, they had volunteered at once. Now in the harsh fluorescent light of the hospital, it suddenly seemed a bad idea.

"Maybe you are right Jeff, but we have promised to do this for Cooper. Blaine needs his friends around him more than ever. He was there for us after Hunter, so I feel that we owe him. The best option might be that I go in alone, and you wait outside for me. That way he doesn't have to see us together - and that might help. I don't really know what we should do. For all of the education that Dalton gives us in being decent men, they miss out a lot on coping with death."

So it was that Nick entered the room alone, to see Cooper sat half asleep at his brother's bedside. The scene was so pitiful - from what Nick had been told, Blaine had demanded that he leave on Friday night - now, he was his best friend. Blaine was asleep as Cooper looked up, smiled, and motioned Nick over. "Here on your own, Nick? That I didn't expect." Then Cooper suddenly added up the situation and realised. "Ah, Jeff is outside, isn't he? You're such good friends to even think about doing this. You've done the right thing just now, but ask him when he wakes up - you might be surprised. I won't be long, just going to freshen up and get something to eat."

With that, Cooper left the room, and Nick went to sit in the chair he had just vacated. This was the first time he had seen Blaine since the party, and the difference was striking. He was so pale, and seemed to have shrunk. He knew that he couldn't have done, but it looked that way. Nick could feel his eyes start to tear up and he tried to blink them away. The last thing Blaine needed to see if he woke up was him in tears when he, after all, still had Jeff. He did it just in time, as Blaine stirred, and opened his eyes. Hazel eyes that had lost their sparkle…

"Hey Nick. Cooper gone to get some rest? That's good. He looks so tired. It's good of you to come - but there's something wrong. No Jeff. Can't have a Nick without a Jeff, just not right." Then a look of realisation came over his face. "He's here, but you didn't want to upset me. It won't, trust me. Might cheer me up to see that you still have each other. Get him in - I need my Niff…" So Nick got up and made Jeff come in. For the next three hours they chatted away as if everything was normal - and every time some little moment occurred between Nick and Jeff, Blaine smiled. Then Cooper was back, and they said their goodbyes. Once back in the corridor, they both broke down and cried. Because Blaine was different - something was very off…

They saw him at the funeral, and after his speech, they were in as much shock as the other Warblers. Thus began a week of discussions between them on Skype as to how they could get him back to normal. It was on the fourth day after the funeral that Jeff turned to Nick, as they lay in each others arms in bed, and said "We can't fix him. Only Kurt could do it. If I was in his shoes, I would be so broken that I wouldn't want to live anymore." Then he started to cry, Nick wrapping him in his arms. He silently prayed that Jeff was wrong, but knew in his heart that he wasn't. Because if he was in Blaine's shoes, that was how he would feel too…

Jeff wasn't wrong. When Sam appeared on camera instead of Santana, and said that there wasn't an easy way to say this, they both knew. The violence of his death was a shock, but not the fact that it had happened. Hunter's involvement made things a hundred times worse. After all he had put them through, this was a final straw. He had to be made to pay. Nick was determined that he would do whatever it took to ensure that he did - not just for Finn, Kurt and Blaine, but for himself and Jeff. He wasn't going to let anyone else get hurt.


End file.
